A Distant Promise
by aimdiscord
Summary: The demise of Kagome and Inuyasha’s relationship, and the birth of a new, completely unexpected love. Time may wear down mountains, but a distant promise of hope always lies in the future. /SessKag, AU/ Nominated: 2nd Qtr 2009 2.0, Dokuga awards!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Spoilers for Chapters 536-537 in the manga. 

Blurb: A series of interconnected drabbles, exploring the demise of Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship, and the birth of a new, completely unexpected love. Time may wear down mountains, but a distant promise of hope always lies in the future. /SessKag/

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #1**

It was time.

Sango smiled thinly – she never had been good at letting go of those she considered family. Kirara chirped happily. Miroku sagely promised to write down their history, telling the story of Naraku's treachery and defeat for ages to come.

Kagome tearfully hugged each of her friends, lingering longest at Shippo's side.

It might be that all of this heartache was unnecessary. Perhaps using the Jewel of Four Souls would not cause the Bone Eater's Well to close, after all. But just in case, she and Inuyasha had agreed to say farewell now, to ensure they had no regrets.

Oh, but leaving would be hard! Saying goodbye to Shippo was especially heart-rending. For over a year, through thick and thin, the fox-kit had traveled at her side, and she truly thought of him as a son. At first, he had cowered behind her leg when a fight broke out, tiny claws pricking through her socks and scraping at her calves. Gradually though, he had grown braver, trying new tricks and techniques against even the strongest-looking enemies. But he had always defended her first and foremost – he was loyal. He had been a part of their little merry band of travelers longer than any other, save Inuyasha. And when she first held him in her arms, something had melted inside her chest, leaving behind warm and fuzzy feelings. It just felt right, his small form against hers. Kagome had never been a very good babysitter, and she often had grown cross with her little brother Souta, but not her little kitsune… Shippo…

_It's not fair! _Kagome moaned inside her mind, trying to put on a brave face for the others. _Why can't Shippo travel through the Well too? He would love the modern era – so many opportunities for mischief…_

Her deep attachment to her adoptive son was almost enough to swing the balance, but not quite. In her heart, she knew that Shippo would be fine with Sango and Miroku. And even if she lingered in the Feudal Era with all her friends, Shippo was a _youkai_ – demons aged more slowly than humans. She would be old and grey, long before Shippo tied his first topknot or smiled at a girl and really meant it… It was selfish, yes, but Kagome wanted him to remember her as a strong, independent woman. So she was leaving him in the care of her two best-friends, and he would protect the villagers that she left behind.

Besides, she knew she would miss her family, if she chose to stay in the past. Souta had been without a big sister for too long – it was time to return to normal life.

"Someday, when you meet a little girl named Kagome," she whispered to Shippo, too softly for the others to overhear, "Promise you'll look after me, like I did you."

His bright-green eyes swam with emotion, but the young kitsune only nodded and hardened his resolve. When Inuyasha and the others had gone to fight the final battle against Naraku, he had been asked to stay and defend Kaede's village. But instead, when Jaken had needed a ride toward the blackened orb in the sky where the final fight was taking place, he, Jaken, and Kohaku had flown toward the battleground on the back of the two-headed dragon, Ah-Un. He had been derelict in his duty and exposed the villagers to danger. This time – he would do better. With brief smile, he stood as straight and tall as he could, clenching his fists furiously to avoid clinging to Kagome's skirt and begging her to remain.

One day – if he was strong and brave and clever enough – they would meet again.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Spoilers for Chapters 511 – 512 in the manga – see Kaede's theories.

**A Distant Promise – Drabble **#**2**

The Well closed.

Kagome's heart didn't exactly break, but she was far more than disappointed. She couldn't exactly put a name to her feelings. Despondently somber? Discouraged, yet resigned to the facts?

Life wasn't always fair – For instance, Inuyasha had been punished over and over again, because of his half-human bloodline, an issue that wasn't his fault. Sango had lost almost her entire family, due to Naraku's treachery. Kagome had been randomly dragged into the past and nearly failed out of school, simply because she happened to be the reincarnation of an ancient priestess. Fate was often capricious.

But still – she had prayed the time portal in the Bone Eater's Well might remain open, even after Inuyasha made his wish. She had hoped that Kaede, the most knowledgeable priestess she knew, would be proven wrong…

Kaede had theorized that the Jewel of Four Souls and the Bone Eater's Well were connected. Without the Jewel's power, time-travel through the well might not be possible. This theory was based on the fact that the Jewel had drawn Kagome back through time in the first place. First, Kikyou had died, taking the Jewel into the afterlife and sealing its power along with her own. Thus, a portion of Kikyou's willpower had been bundled up alongside the Jewel. And when Kagome was born 500 years later with the Jewel inside her body, Kagome's spiritual powers had been sealed since birth. Yet despite Kikyou's powerful seal on the Jewel's power, Kagome had been drawn into the past anyway. According to Kaede, the Jewel had desired to return to the Warring States Era and finish what it started 500 years ago.

However, this explanation had never made sense to Kagome. Surely, it was not that simple – Inuyasha had been able to travel through the Bone Eater's Well too. All he had to do was jump in, and it transported him to the future. And certainly, Kagome had lost all her Jewel shards, long before the final fight with Naraku, but she had still been able to travel through time to take her high-school entrance exams! So, she had asked herself, how could Jewel Shards really be connected to a time-traveling well? It was one of those unanswerable, mystical questions.

Now, unfortunately, it seemed Kaede had been correct all along. The mechanism of the magic had always been the Jewel – the well was just a pile of useless wood without the Jewel's power to activate it. And she couldn't help being crushed by the finality of it.

_When the last person to hold the Jewel of Four Souls makes the right wish…_she thought sadly, _The Jewel will be purified and disappear from this world. _Her grandfather had been relaying various versions of this story since she was a child, although she had never really listened to the old man's ramblings. Perhaps his tale reflected Sango and Miroku's legacy? After all, the monk had promised to tell the world about their fight with Naraku and the battle to reclaim the Jewel of Four Souls… It was pleasant to imagine the legend passed down through the generations, until at last, her grandfather told it to her.

All the same, knowing the story was true left a bittersweet taste in her mouth. Because in that case, only she knew the _real_ ending to her story. Inuyasha had returned to the future with her and wished to become fully human. As the Jewel of Four Souls had faded into glittering dust on his palm, a bright pink light had surrounded her. Then, the strange feeling had passed, and they had celebrated – it must have been the "right wish."

And now…

Weren't fairy tales supposed to end with the heroes living happily ever after? But she wasn't entirely happy. The well had closed, and there was no going back. Today was merely the first day of the rest of their lives. Inuyasha still had a long way to go, before he could really become a part of modern society. She loved him, but she still wanted to attend high school, before she settled down and married her one-time half-human, half-demon sweetheart. Their story hadn't ended – it had only just begun! And yet… and yet… the days seemed sort of anti-climatic now.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #3**

He chose Kagome.

How could he have done otherwise? Not only did she look and smell almost exactly like his first love, she was better than Kikyou in almost every respect. Kikyou had been beautiful, graceful and kind, but Kagome was gorgeous, vivacious, and one-step-beyond kind – she seemed downright self-sacrificing. No matter what their history, Kagome had always stayed with him. When he had yelled at her in the beginning, she had just yelled right back. Eventually, he had realized he couldn't drive her away. It was stupendous. Amazing. Unbelievable. But also, undeniably true.

For once in his life, he had found someone who did not hate him for existing, someone who accepted him exactly the way he had been born. She had believed in him, even after seeing him fail, and she had stood by him, even when he did things to hurt her feelings. She also cooked really good food (like ramen). Yea, it might seem a little bit silly to other people, but one of the reasons Inuyasha had returned to Kagome's time, instead of forcing her to stay in the Warring States Era, was food. How could he face the possibility of a lonely existence without spicy, yummy noodles, once he had experienced the joy of instant ramen firsthand?

In any case, back to the topic at hand. Kagome was pretty, and energetic, and nice, and faithful, and she could cook. Wanting to do something considerate for her, for once, he had chosen to follow her home. That way, they could be together, without loosing her family and her time period in the process.

He had been sad to leave Miroku and Sango behind, but he had figured that being a human (and living with Kagome) would make up for it. And it did… in some ways. But he had never guessed just how awkward it would be, to live in the future. The silver hair and the puppy dog ears had vanished, once he wished to become human, yet he still didn't fit in.

First of all, everyone seemed to be in a hurry. It bothered him. Inuyasha had never been pressed for time in his life, except when he was fighting an enemy, or trying to collect shards of the Jewel of Four Souls before his worst foe could do so. Basically, Kagome had caught him during the _busiest _part of his existence – he had never run so fast or so far or pressed his group so hard, as when they were trailing Naraku all over Japan. Now that the danger was past, he had anticipated a bit of rest and relaxation. Kicking back in the grass around Kagome's family shrine, maybe napping in the sunshine, while she brought him snacks… that wouldn't have been so bad. But instead, he had to go places, meet people, run errands, and go to school. It was exhausting, and it all seemed so pointless. Living in the future did not bring him any more insight into the nature and purpose of 'tests' and 'lessons' than he had ever had before.

Secondly, there were way too many things to learn. He was expected to learn math, reading, writing, geography, history, and much more – if he did not learn these things, he would never get a good job, and how could he settle down with Kagome, when he could not make a living in this place? For some reason, a person couldn't just be a farmer anymore. How strange! He had looked_forward_ to being a farmer, when he spoke of marrying Kikyou and living with her for the rest of his life. What was so wrong with farming? It was a venerable occupation! But no one seemed to do it anymore. In fact, Kagome had laughed when he mentioned it. No, really! She had laughed in his face, like it was the silliest idea she had ever heard. His dream of moving to the countryside and building a small house with her slowly dwindled into ashes, as he struggled to attend school, and failed tests over and over.

Worse, the stupid history books were not accurate. They never made any mention of demons or spirits or any of the things he had seen in the past. Kagome had explained that she didn't see many youkai in the future. He hadn't sensed any either, even before giving up his half-demon heritage. But this hadn't bothered him much, until he realized that no one _remembered_ them! There was a difference between burning-out like a falling star and being erased from the annals of history entirely.

Still though, he had chosen her. Once upon a time, Kagome had promised to stay by his side and support him in every thing he did – no matter how much it hurt her. Now, he would return the favor. Surely, it was not so difficult to accustom oneself to a different time period. As long as she was there, as long as they were together, everything would be all right in the end. He just had to try a little harder to belong. With a sigh, he returned to his books.


	4. Chapter 4

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #4**

"A new boyfriend?"

The voice rang out behind Kagome's head, as she perused the isles in the local grocery store, Inuyasha at her side. Like ice-water had just been poured on her head, the shrine maiden felt a chill rush down her spine. Turning slowly, she saw one of her old friends from middle-school, Yuka.

Until the whole fiasco with the Shikon Jewel, Kagome had been best friends with Eri, Yuka and Ayumi. But then, her idyllic relationship with the three girls had become strained. After a year of fighting for her life in the past, a modern-schoolgirls' concerns just seemed so silly, stereotypical, and selfish.

Worse, she had made the mistake of telling them about Inuyasha, during one of her angry rants. Irritated by his antics at the time, she had described him as a violent, rude, selfish, two-timing boyfriend. For months afterward, the trio had conspired to set her up with someone nicer, like Hojo. But eventually, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi had met Inuyasha in person and found him to be pretty cool.

And now, Yuka was standing there, staring at the back of Inuyasha's head accusingly. Apparently, she had liked the old Inuyasha more than Kagome realized. The ex-half-demon studiously ignored her, focusing on the ramen shelves instead. Still, Kagome knew he'd hang on their every word. "Whatever happened to the last one?" Yuka continued, curious yet reproachful. "With the silvery hair?"

Kagome bit her lip, wondering whether to claim that Inuyasha had bleached his hair before, and this was his 'natural' look. "Oh, well, you see… He's my…" she began tentatively, feeling a rising blush of color staining her cheeks red. Then, because she didn't know exactly what Inuyasha 'was' to her, she fell silent.

"It's okay," Yuka added, sensing her embarrassment. "This one's cute too! I don't mean to cause trouble."

With an armful of ramen, Inuyasha stood and dumped the containers into her shopping basket, glaring out the corner of his eye at the schoolgirl beside Kagome. Anyone who knew him could have seen the thought flowing through his mind – 'Do I really look that different now?' But Yuka plowed ahead, unwittingly deepening the trench of miscommunication that divided them.

Addressing Inuyasha to downplay her earlier criticism, Yuka explained, "No, really! I'm so glad to meet you. Her last boyfriend was a troublemaker. A total brute, a cheater too! I'm happy Kagome has a guy she can trust now."

The temperature of the store seemed to drop ten degrees, as Kagome paled and Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, in a challenging fashion. "Is that so?"

"Er… yes?" Clearly, something had gone wrong, but Yuka did not know why. Covering her tracks, she changed the subject. "Oh! But where are my manners? Ha-ha! My name is Yuka. What's yours?"

"None of your business," he replied brusquely, pushing past both girls down the isle.

Waving a quick goodbye to her friend, Kagome hurried to catch up to him. Luckily, since he was slower as a human, she found him just outside the market. "Inuyasha!" she called out frantically, "Wait!"

He stopped, but never met her gaze. Heart racing, she began to apologize. It wasn't true, she told him, Yuka didn't know what she was talking about – obviously, she had not _meant_ such horrible slurs, back when she spoke them to her three modern girlfriends. She had just been antagonized by Kikyou. That was all!

Excuses had never been her strong point.

"But, Kagome," replied Inuyasha, with deceptively calm eyes, "That's what I always liked about you – the way you speak your heart and say exactly what you mean."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Wow, people review drabbles like crazy. If I could get half as many reviews per hit on my chapter-saga type fanfiction, I'd be in seventh heaven. Minor Spoilers for MangaChapter 530, concerning Kagome's grades.

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #5**

Just a kiss.

Why was that such a big deal? Kagome huffed in frustration, throwing herself face-down onto her bed. The pink cushions and coverlets were gone, but the room still reminded her of her younger days, full of frustration and teenage-angst over her relationship with Inuyasha (or rather her lack thereof). Not too much had changed, on that score. Inuyasha had tried to kiss her a few times in the modern world, she was almost sure of it – but every time they had been alone together, Souta or her mother or her grandfather had burst onto the scene and spoiled it. And even if one of her family members didn't interrupt, Inuyasha never seemed to have the nerve to do the deed.

He was like a blushing schoolboy, embarrassed by the idea of liking a girl. She didn't have cooties! Finally, she had asked him about it, point-blank. Inuyasha had muttered some feeble excuse about the modern world being so fast and busy – there never seemed to be time.

_What a load of crap! _ she thought to herself, fuming. He certainly seemed to have time to ogle other girls, in their short mini-skirts and school uniforms. Kagome had caught his eyes inadvertently following them, every now and then, tracking their bare legs as other girls walked down the street. Funny how she never seemed to notice these things in the past… Had he ever looked at her like that, back when she wore her green and white middle-school outfit? Her high-school uniform had a much more conservative look.

It was enough to make a girl wistful – if she had scored better in middle-school, then she could have picked any high-school she wanted. Instead, she had been at the bottom of her class. In fact, the only reason she passed her tests was due to a vacancy – some students had _failed to show up_. That was how abysmal her grades had been.

And that was all Inuyasha's fault too, although she didn't blame him for it. The quest she had completed in the past was important. The Shikon no Tama had to be destroyed for the good of mankind and the future of the world. Yada, yada. All she really wanted at this point was a little recognition, in return for all her effort.

She wanted Inuyasha to kiss her! It had been almost a year, since they came to her era, and their relationship had gone nowhere. He was shy, and she was stunted – the past held a more repressive society than the future. And besides, Inuyasha wanted to 'settle down' first – in his mind, a man had to find a job and own a home, before he could be a good provider for a wife. And the idea of getting funky before they were married, well… he wouldn't disgrace her like that. Not to mention the whole thing became very awkward, with him living under the same roof, near her mother's watchful gaze.

Sighing, she rolled over and rubbed her eyes, fighting off tears. Her arms ached where Inuyasha had grabbed her roughly, bruising her limbs, the other day. It had been a stupid argument.

The worst of it was that Inuyasha still behaved like a jealous idiot, around other guys. Hojo dropped by the house once to say hello, because they hadn't seen each other in a while, and Inuyasha spent the entire time being rude and chauvinistic. Yet the ex-hanyou had a double standard, when it came to himself! All the local girls thought he was hot. Droves of tittering schoolgirls flocked to the shrine, every week, to say hello to him. And did she, Kagome, complain? No, of course not. She was never rude. She might fume and glower in private, but she knew how to remain civilized in public.

Finally though, she had snapped. They had been picking up supplies for the shrine, and a teenage girl in a skimpy looking outfit had rubbed up against Inuyasha by 'accident' on the check-out line. Rather than pushing her away, or even looking uncomfortable, Inuyasha had seemed amused.

Screaming at him, as though the whole thing was Inuyasha's fault, she had started the fight. And once she was mad, he quickly grew angry too. Only for once, she didn't win the day by telling him to 'Sit!' – he had no rosary beads restraining him anymore – and for once, Inuyasha had refused to back down, firmly asserting that he hadn't done anything wrong. He had hurt her arm, dragging her back to the shrine, and then refused to speak to her all day.

At this rate, she was going to die a virgin.


	6. Chapter 6

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #6**

She was disappointed.

Mrs. Higurashi had always assumed Inuyasha's tomboyish ways would fade if he had a loving family. In her eyes, he only acted gruff and disrespectful because lives were in danger, and there were quests to finish, monsters to fight. Secretly though, she had assumed he was 'nicer' to her daughter somehow, during the quiet moments.

How could she have thought anything else? There might be no accounting for tastes, but her daughter, Kagome, was one of the sweetest, kindest people on the face of the Earth. So, when Kagome fell in love with someone, then Mrs. Higurashi knew, deep down, that person must have a good soul. When her little girl had fallen for Inuyasha, then she had accepted the fact that he must be a decent person.

But lately, her assumptions were being put to the test. Over a year had passed, and she still had to search to see his 'nice' side. Even when she did, those moments were fleeting.

Her daughter was still waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the relationship to progress. Back when Mrs. Higurashi had spoken of patient perseverance to a love-struck daughter, she had suspected the existence of some 'other woman.' Telling Kagome to remain sweet and loyal in the face of adversity had been common sense – every man would pick an agreeable girl over a not-so-agreeable one. It always happened – eventually, one of the two women in a love triangle like that would snap, making demands that the man wasn't willing to commit to – at which point, he'd return to the nicer lady, one who made him feel appreciated and special. Yelling or complaining about being 'cheated' on, this never got anyone anywhere; it just added negativity and caused the relationship to end that much faster. Yet even though that particular obstacle was gone, her daughter's love-life hadn't improved. Mrs. Higurashi began to see the pattern of a larger problem.

What concerned her was the fact that her daughter argued with Inuyasha almost every day, and then wrote it off, like this was normal. What worried her was that Inuyasha seemed incapable of fitting in, and he bristled and attacked first and asked questions later. This era was not as dangerous as the one he remembered; no one was out to get him. Everyone here wanted what was best for him. So, why couldn't the boy be more even-tempered? And what panicked her was the way her daughter acted ready to throw her future away, on a boy who didn't seem to care…

As her daughter entered the second year of high-school, with university looming only a year away, Mrs. Higurashi had quietly suggested picking some schools to apply to. But Kagome's first concern had been Inuyasha. They had agreed to discuss the matter with him first, to help explain the transition from high-school to university.

And sure enough, her daughter had been right. Inuyasha had grown irate, appalled by the idea that Kagome faced almost four more years of schooling. He could not understand why she had to leave home, to take more classes, far away. It wasn't meant as a personal insult, but he took it as such.

At first, he had fumed in silence, fidgeting and fussing with the cushions on the couch. But then, Kagome had said too much. A bit sheepishly, she had mentioned that a four-year University was_optional_. Technically, she did not have to go, but without good credentials, a girl could never achieve a high-paying job.

For some reason, that had been the last straw. Inuyasha had flown into a rage, yelling at her daughter. Claiming that she didn't want to spend time with him, he had accused her of trying to run from her responsibilities! As if Kagome would ever do such a thing! Aghast, Mrs. Higurashi had stepped into the living room to interrupt. Going to a high-ranked University was nothing to be ashamed of, and Kagome's grades in high-school were exemplary. Mrs. Higurashi was fiercely proud of her daughter, knowing precisely how hard she had worked, the _hurdles _she had to overcome to reach that goal. And frankly, Inuyasha should have known all those things too. She would not sit idly by, while a misunderstood boy kept Kagome from achieving her full potential.

It would be to his benefit too, she thought sadly –as Kagome was likely to be the 'bread-winner' in their partnership, should the two marry. Thoughts like these discouraged a mother, so she tried not to dwell on them. But in the end, she felt so disappointed, in so many ways. Why couldn't her daughter have had an easy life, full of love and laughter?


	7. Chapter 7

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #7**

He hated this place.

The dislike hadn't come all at once. At first, he had been willing to compromise, to seek the good in this era. After all, this was the world that invented instant _Ramen_, so it couldn't be all bad. But over time, the loud noises and the smells and the tall buildings that blocked out the sun and the lack of stars and the ever-crowded parks … it all began to wear on him. He missed verdant forests, when he could never find a clear patch of grass to rest on. He longed for silence and fresh air, even though he didn't have his hanyou ears or his expert sense of smell anymore.

It was strange, how the absence of his demonic-senses gradually made the situation worse, not better. Before, he had blocked out the clamor of the city, because he had been forced to. His dog-like ears had been too sensitive to do anything else. But now, he couldn't seem to do that anymore. For years, while he tried to learn and fit in, Inuyasha would constantly and immediately focus on everything around him, forcing himself to see what he was missing. Every so often he thought – no, he remembered – just how bad this world could be if he was only… _himself_ …again.

Feeling the lack of his hanyou heritage even more acutely, now that it was gone, he knew that nothing would ever be the same again. Had it been the wrong decision, to become human? Kagome had not asked it of him. Instead, she had always said she liked him better as he was.

Still, even Kagome had said there were 'no demons' in the future, so he had always known, if he wanted to stay with her, then he had to give up his demon-blood. He didn't want to make her lose everything, and stay with him in the past. He was the one with no roots, after all.

So, Inuyasha had chosen this future of his own free will, because Kikyou had promised that wishing upon the Shikon no Tama, wishing to become_human_, would dissolve the Jewel and erase its evil presence from this world. And at the time, he had rationalized that living in this place meant being with Kagome, so it wouldn't be too bad.

But somehow, she was always away from home – going to school, eating out with friends, running errands for her mother. Yes, the ex-hanyou knew it was selfish to try and keep her from attending college, but even Kagome had admitted it was optional. The only reason that she needed to go was to receive a 'degree' and a high-paying job.

Did the Higurashi family understand how insulting it felt, when they implied he could never take _care _of Kagome on his own? He fully intended to get a job in this place. He knew he had to complete his education to obtain a good one. It was completely unnecessary, therefore, for Kagome to enter a university. Her reasons for doing so seemed superficial and derogatory, as if she was insinuating that he would never find an adequate job. Worse, as if she had never expected him to do so, at all! It felt like Kagome had simply _presumed_ that she would be the one supporting _him_, instead of the other way around. Of course, he felt insulted!

Mostly, he simply felt lost as a human. In this city, he was behind the times, a little too slow, too traditional. Gradually, this place sucked him dry, making him feel as mindless as when he was a full demon, and as helpless as he always had on the night of the new moon, when his powers were stripped from him. Perhaps he was simply destined to be a wanderer, never fully knowing himself, always lost and alone.

Finished sweeping the shrine steps, Inuyasha sighed and returned the straw broom to its closet. In the living room, he saw Souta was playing a video game on the Television, and it made his skin crawl, because he recalled executing those moves in real life. And as usual, whenever he started thinking about the past, he would miss Kagome all over again, reminiscing about the way she used to look up to him like the sun, and the way he would always protect her, just as surely as that fiery orb rose each day.

Hearing the door close, Souta called out without turning around, "Hey, Inuyasha! Wanna play?"

"Keh," Inuyasha replied brusquely, pushing dark hair out of his face, "No thanks, squirt. I'd beat ya, anyway."

Unimpressed, the boy muttered under his breath that his friend had been cooler when he was a dog-demon. Unconsciously, Inuyasha corrected him – "Half-demon."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: In which Inuyasha has a realization that has been a LONG-TIME coming.

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #8**

"You're fired, Inuyasha." 

The words were not meant unkindly, and his boss delivered them in the kindest possible tone. But nothing changed the cold hard facts. He had hurt a student, however unintentionally, and the owner of the dojo could no longer keep him on staff. The one job he had managed to hold down, for longer than a few short weeks, had just been ripped from him due to a single, simple, careless mistake.

Inuyasha had never trained formally in any martial arts discipline, but he certainly had plenty of practice with physical fighting. So, this time, he had expected to hold a stable job – hell, he was actually good at playing part-time instructor at a dojo. Unfortunately, he was _too _good. Used to delivering real damage to his enemies, his control had slipped momentarily, and now he was alone again, without a chance of references or recommendation.

Great. Just great. Failing out of school, and unemployed, no… unemployable. How was he ever going to catch-up to Kagome in this world? She would return from her freshman year of college in a few weeks, and he had nothing to show her, nothing to make her proud. Even more than when he was a hanyou, Inuyasha felt unworthy of her.

As if sensing his friend's distress, Mamoru sat down beside him in the changing room. Inuyasha didn't meet his gaze. Mamoru had been a good friend to him, so far, though they had known each other a few meager months. Not many men tried to see past the challenging, brusque veneer that Inuyasha presented the world, but this one persevered where others failed. A scruffy, short-haired male, used to being looked down on himself, Mamoru saw in Inuyasha a shining star.

"It'll be okay," urged Mamoru gently, "You'll find another …"

"Where?" objected Inuyasha, "I'm tired of trying to be what everyone else wants me to be. I thought I could escape by taking this position; I thought I could be more like myself here, doing something I know and love. But even here, there are standards to fulfill, and I fall short."

The shorter male snorted dismissively. "Takeo is an arrogant idiot. He wouldn't have gotten hurt, if he did what you told him to in the first place."

But Inuyasha would have none of it. He was feeling sulky, prone to fits of distress, not easily accepting of comfort. "He's in the hospital, Mamoru."

They sat in silence for a time, and the quiet soothed them both. Finally, Mamoru's eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. Standing and stretching his arms, the scruffy haired teen said almost nonchalantly, "Well, I've been delaying this, but you know… without you on staff, I don't really want to work here anymore. So, I'm leaving."

"What?" came the startled reply. If his silvery dog-ears had still been with him, then Inuyasha's ears would have swiveled to focus solely on his companion. Surely not! He had just finally made a friend – a good friend – in this crazy place, and now his friend was leaving? That couldn't be. "Going where?" he asked in trepidation.

"My aunt and uncle on my mother's side run a countryside inn, near some hot springs, and they have asked me to work there," replied Mamoru, eyeing his companion slyly. "I suppose, if you wanted, you could come too."

Mouth agape, Inuyasha stared right back. If he left the shrine, then he would feel lost. He would be giving up on school and big-city life… _and Kagome_, his mind whispered treacherously. But he pushed away that thought. Truly, he longed to see green fields again. And it wouldn't be giving up on Kagome, not really. After all, she had gone to college and still visited the shrine. No, this would be an opportunity. He could get a job and keep it for once.

So, Inuyasha headed out to parts unknown. He wrote a short note for Mrs. Higurashi, and then…

As the miles slid by, his heart swelled with a strange feeling. He felt adventurous. He felt free. It was marvelous. It reminded him of old-times. And in the shadows through the window of the train, Mamoru's face reflected back the familiar light-hearted, yet world-wise, gaze of a monk. Settling back into the cushions, Inuyasha realized it didn't matter – Mamoru might never, ever be as close as Miroku, but then, life wasn't about comparisons. It was about moving forward.


	9. Chapter 9

**A Distant Promise – Drabble # 9**

"Gone where, mama?"

Her daughter's worried voice crackled over the phone line, sounding worried and confused. Mrs. Higurashi looked sheepishly at the telephone cord that she twirled anxiously between her fingers. She had explained the note as passively as possible, but she had known all along it would upset Kagome.

"Stay right there," the shrine priestess said, when her mother did not reply, "I'm coming home!"

With a start, Mrs. Higurashi protested vehemently. This was the end of a semester. Finals were coming up, and it was the worst possible time for her daughter to cut classes! But Kagome seemed to think that she could make a difference, that she could somehow find Inuyasha and stop him from leaving, bring him home.

Guilt and dread shooting through her chest, the older lady finally explained the rest of the story – this note was nothing new. Inuyasha had quit the shrine over a week ago, and she, the ever-dutiful mother, had failed to tell her daughter of this little tidbit of news. Well, of course! She had wanted to hide it from Kagome, for this very reason. She knew how badly her daughter would react.

"Perhaps it is a sign honey," urged a fretful mother, "Maybe it's okay for both of you to move on…"

"Mama!" Kagome shrieked in reply, "The only reason he's here in the future is because of me – I can't abandon him!"

The line in her hand went dead, and Mrs. Higurashi could just imagine the flame licking from her daughter's eyes on the other end. Sighing wearily, she hung up the receiver and ran her hands through her hair. If Kagome came home tonight, at least she should have a robust meal to keep her strength. Then, the family could convince her to wait until the winter break to begin her fruitless search for Inuyasha.

Hours later, a polite sounding knock wrapped on their front door, and Mrs. Higurashi wiped her hands on her apron, wondering who would visit the shrine at this time of night. Kagome had a key and did not need to seek permission to enter. Opening the door to reveal a handsome young man, with piercing green eyes and rich brownish-red hair, Mrs. Higurashi gasped in surprise. By his coloring, the man looked like a foreigner, but his features were undeniably Japanese. She had never seen such a striking, yet harmonious combination.

A wide grin split his face, almost concealing his eyes completely, and she heard the young boy ask after Kagome. "Oh, are you a friend of my daughter?" asked the startled lady, a pleasant warmth infusing her tone at the thought. "Please come in!"

And that was how Kagome burst through the doorway of the living room, only to find her mother and a strange boy having tea and huddled deep in discussion. Patting down her tousled black hair, Kagome advanced upon the tiny table in the middle of the room and crossed her arms, looking significantly at the stranger who was interrupting her pending conversation with her mother. With a bright smile, Mrs. Higurashi rose and eagerly added a cushion for her daughter near the table.

"Your friend, Chitose, was polite enough to stop by the shrine," her mother beamed, "I'm glad you are making such nice friends…"

"I don't know him," Kagome snapped in frustration. She had been worrying about Inuyasha, during the entire train ride, for miles and miles. This was no time to have to deal with strangers.

Green-eyes blinked innocently, as Mrs. Higurashi fluttered anxiously on the side-lines, glancing back and forth between her daughter and the man she had been speaking with for almost an hour.

"Don't you?" inquired the young man gently. It was his voice that gave him away, oddly enough – although it should have been the hair or eyes. In fact, his tone of voice was the one thing that had changed over the years. The incongruity of hearing the wrong voice, paired up with the right eyes, made Kagome's heart ache. Her blue eyes filled with tears, as she sank to her knees. After waiting for so long, she had almost given up – but of course, she would know him, she should have recognized him right away…

Shippo had come home.


	10. Chapter 10

**A Distant Promise – Drabble # 10**

"Five!" Kagome gasped.

Five sleek brown tails swished proudly under her inspection, almost seeming to have a life of their own, as Shippo stood before his adoptive mother for the first time in over four-hundred years. It felt very good to remove the concealment spells, in front of someone he knew he could trust.

To one side, a similar gasp of surprise emanated from Mrs. Higurashi. To think, she had invited a kitsune into her home! A real fox-spirit, just like all the stories said. The older woman had always believed her daughter's tales of magic in the feudal era, but she had never hoped to meet up with the very same fox-kit that Kagome had cared for.

"If it has been five hundred years," pondered the shrine-maiden, "Shouldn't you have six tails? One for each century?"

A pained look passed over Shippo's face, but it was gone again so quickly that Kagome was not sure she had seen it. "It hasn't been – that's why I didn't come sooner," the boy with the rust-colored hair answered, seeming to feel this merited an apology. "I'm sorry, Kagome."

Ever the positive one, Kagome cheerfully smiled back. "Well, I was always bad at math… And it was hard to tell exactly what year it was, in the past." Reaching out for one of his tails, she stroked the fur as though she had ordained him the new household-pet, but the other tails immediately coiled around her arms, holding her hands still.

After a short period of reminiscence, the kitsune explained how he accidentally learned of her presence. Apparently, they had Inuyasha to thank for this meeting. Shippo had failed to check on the shrine in a number of years, believing she had not yet appeared, planning to watch more carefully when close to five hundred years had elapsed. But then, vacationing at a distant hot-springs resort, he had encountered Inuyasha. The shock of recognizing his human form and simultaneously realizing that Inuyasha had aged _years_ had sent Shippo into a fit of panic. He had arrived on her doorstep, the next day.

At mention of Inuyasha's name, Kagome perked up immediately. "You've seen Inuyasha? You know where he is?"

"Yes," replied the fox-demon uneasily, tucking his tails behind him in a swirl. "Did something happen between the two of you? He seemed … different."

Slipping into an old, familiar role, Kagome attempted to comfort her fox-kit, although he was no longer small and in need of reassurances. "It's okay," she said firmly, "We had an argument, that's all."

On this note, Mrs. Higurashi quietly slipped out to refill their teapot, while Kagome's words hung thickly overhead, weighing on her conscience. Had she just lied to Shippo? For the life of her, she could not figure out why. Perhaps she was the one who needed reassurance. But hearing the words did not make them real. Her relationship with Inuyasha was falling apart, and she knew it. Otherwise, he would never have abandoned the shrine.

"Did he…" She strained not to look too interested. "Did he say anything to you?"

Shippo shook his head, a secret knowledge hiding behind his eyes that had never been there before. She didn't like the way he looked at her anymore, she decided. Once, she had been brave and strong, and he had admired the example she set, following where she led. Now, the childlike adoration was gone, replaced with a wealth of experience. She shuddered slightly to imagine what the intervening years had been like for him. She asked.

Laughter was her only reply. "I like the modern era more," he answered evasively. "So many opportunities for mischief and subterfuge these days, the way everything runs according to a strict, clockwork schedule. And society is more complex, with more rules to break."

His smile was radiant. Her heart clenched anxiously, wondering why he hadn't answered her question. Scooting nearer to his side, she changed the subject, asking politely if she might touch his tail – tails! – again. This time, he allowed it, ceding to her request with surly dignity.

"Hn," he snorted, the sound sparking a faint wisp of memory in her mind. It reminded her of someone, but whom, she could not say.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #11**

That icy voice…

He would have known it anywhere. Even in his sleep, he could never forget it. When he was young, his half-brother's image had spoken to him in nightmares, threatening his life with that same tone of dispassionate malice. Over the years, Sesshoumaru had grown and changed, becoming slightly more likable and trustworthy, but no one would ever have accused the man of being vivacious. Disinterest permeated his every pore. Sesshoumaru had been capable of sounding bored in life or death situations. Almost nothing seemed to rattle him.

So, when he heard the reserved, sonorous tone of his half-brother's voice flowing toward him, he instantly froze and stood at attention. It couldn't be. That deep bass, unforgettably drilled into his unconscious – there was no mistaking it.

Slowly, Inuyasha faced the hot springs in the resort where he now worked. This was one of the outdoor onsen, on the men's side of the building. Steam obscured his vision, and he cursed softly, missing his keen, half-demon nose again. Mere fog wouldn't have prevented him from identifying someone, when he was hanyou. Surely, it couldn't be…

He delayed, biding his time, until he could ascertain exactly who was speaking with that eerily familiar voice. Part of him didn't want to know, but he knew the curiosity would eat him alive, if he didn't learn the truth. First, he brought fresh towels into the area, then picked up discarded, soggy ones for cleaning. Next, he mopped the stones, all the while listening to visitors sitting out of sight, outdoors, in the misty springs.

Finally, he could bear it no longer – he had to know! Throwing down his mop with a clatter, Inuyasha stomped around the perimeter of the onsen, until the two conversing men were in view. His heart plummeted. After getting so worked up, he was actually disappointed to see that neither man looked like his brother. Both had black hair, black eyes, and short hair. No markings or demonic features grabbed his attention. No dangerous aura.

Both men stopped speaking and stared at him incredulously. Stifling a sigh, Inuyasha realized he seemed very rude, interrupting a guest's bath in this manner, so he quickly tried to turn the situation to his favor. "Would either of you like another towel?" he found himself asking lamely.

The washcloth resting on the taller man's head dropped into the water with a plop, and the shorter man stood up, sloshing his way across the spring toward Inuyasha. Thanking god for small favors, he noted that they both had white towels wrapped around the waist, so he didn't have to see more than necessary. Stupid, really, to worry about such things in the first place – he had bathed with Miroku and Shippo in the past, and going to a Japanese onsen was a long-standing, time-honored tradition in this era. They were completely normal men. Harmless mortals, just like he was now. Another bitter pang of disappointment rushed through his chest.

"Inuyasha?" A breathless plea drifted toward him over the steaming water, and his gaze snapped up to meet the stranger's eyes.

"It _is _you!" gasped the shorter man, eyes desperately searching his own for recognition. And then, right before his eyes, the man transformed. His features did not change, but his hair color bled from black to reddish brown, and his eyes from pitch to emerald. A mass of sodden fur soaked in the spring behind him.

_Kitsune _– Inuyasha noted absently, his mind briefly empty as he dealt with the shock. Then, his neurons finally made the connection. He only knew one fox-demon. He had come forward on a hunch, hoping and dreading that he might find his half-brother, but he had found his long-lost ward instead.

"What are you doing here?" the kitsune asked in amazement. "It's too soon."

Inuyasha was still unable to reply. If Shippo was here, and he could hide his youkai features from the world, then maybe the other man could too. It was possible. It could be…

Staring at the other man's chiseled, high cheekbones, he imagined he could see stripes trailing along them. And that cold, assessing stare – it couldn't be duplicated. Sesshoumaru was still alive, after all this time, and obviously still hated his guts, if that glare was anything to judge by.

"Inuyasha?" the fox-demon asked once more, reaching out one hand. He walked away without a word.


	12. Chapter 12

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #12**

"What about Kagome?"

Grimacing, Inuyasha replied gruffly, "Yea, what about her?" He tried to ignore the concern pouring off the fox-demon in waves.

When he had abruptly left the onsen, Shippo had followed him back to his quarters. The kitsune was remarkably persistent in getting information out of people, Inuyasha had discovered. It wasn't that he felt reluctant to talk with Shippo – hell, they had been good friends in the past… but that was the problem, he supposed. The 'past' was dead and gone. He was moving forward.

Inuyasha was willing enough to let his old acquaintance know about his job, living conditions, life in the future era, his wish on the Shikon no Tama, everything. But his relationship with Kagome was the one thing that the fox-demon seemed determined to ask about, and this one issue Inuyasha really did not want to discuss.

"Oh, I don't know," the kitsune pried lightheartedly, trying to inject humor into a dying conversation. "I suppose I assumed you two would get married and have half-a-million babies."

"Keh!" scoffed Inuyasha, "Modern girls wait a long time before getting married, or haven't you heard?"

"Hn." Shippo nodded, glad to see his friend was willing to talk about the subject, at least to a certain extent.

But that soft sound of agreement, with just a touch of derisive sarcasm infused into it, drove Inuyasha up the wall. "Would you stop doing that?" he glared. "You sound like _him_. What the hell were you doing with my half-brother anyway? I thought you had better taste."

Now, it was Shippo's turn to equivocate, avoiding the question. And so it went, back and forth, as the pair caught-up on centuries of gossip and news, each of them answering the other without ever explaining the most essential pieces of the puzzle that made up their life. By the end, Shippo had angered Inuyasha enough that the human wanted to bop the kitsune on the head, and Inuyasha had frustrated Shippo so much that the kitsune fondly recalled the days when he had chewed on his guardian's ears. Both of them enjoyed the meeting.

When they returned to the front desk, Sesshoumaru was sitting in the lobby, indifferently perusing a newspaper. Smartly dressed in modern clothing, he looked like the most incongruous item in the room, since the hotel lobby was adorned with antiques and traditional Japanese decor. A tinkle of distant conversation infiltrated the room, but it only made the silence between brothers seem more intense, as the elder sibling rose to face his past.

Even a blind man could have seen the tension crackling in the air around them. The former Lord of the West still carried himself like royalty, although a slight stiffness of the spine betrayed his unease. Inuyasha lounged against the front desk, pretending not to care. Shippo rolled his eyes, biting back his annoyance with both parties.

Finally, clearing his throat, the taiyoukai announced that it was good to see his half-brother again. It sounded like an awkward truth instead of a polite lie, and the younger man relented slightly, nodding his head in greeting. Because his elder brother had always started their fights, Inuyasha felt determined to wait for an apology or some gesture of good faith on Sesshoumaru's part. He would be charitable enough to allow his half-brother a second chance, but only if the idiot played nice.

The minor concession that Inuyasha hoped for never came. This was Sesshoumaru, after all. The uncomfortable atmosphere continued to expand, devoid of artful dialogue or social niceties. "So, you work at this… inn," the dog-demon stated flatly, unsure how to proceed and unwilling to show his doubts.

Thinking he detected criticism in the words, Inuyasha frowned. "Yea," he snapped. "Does that matter to you?"

"I was unaware," the taiyoukai replied simply.

"Never wanted to be 'aware' of my life before," goaded Inuyasha, pushing for the modicum of repentance that he longed to see in his half-brother's eyes. "Why start now? Didn't know I had to make regular reports."

Unfortunately, this particular dog-demon was not one to be coerced – especially when he could not guess the other person's objectives. "Of course not," Sesshoumaru responded rigidly, folding his newspaper neatly beneath one arm. "And your priestess?" he inquired politely.

"Why the f-- does everyone keep asking me about Kagome?!" cursed Inuyasha, stepping backward. And with that, the reconciliation was over, its ashes lazily drifting across the tatami mats in the lobby. Shippo shot his old friend a concerned glance as the boy stalked away, but he followed his employer away from the resort.


	13. Chapter 13

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #13**

Shippo loved chocolate.

It was difficult to describe to mortals how much he loved it. Humans didn't have the olfactory senses, he surmised, to enjoy the delicious concoction to its fullest extent. He loved its creamy texture, the way it melted in his hands, and the happy memories that a bite of chocolate always brought to mind. He loved its bitter aftertaste, its overtures of darkness, and even the depressing exhaustion that came from eating too many sugary confections at once.

Having eaten sweetened chocolate at a formative stage in his life, the taste was indelibly imprinted upon his brain, along with the flavor of raw meats his father had fed him before Kagome came along. But even a fresh kill couldn't compare to the electrifying goodness that was chocolate. Shippo had made alliances with Dutch traders, Spanish missionaries, feudal lords, underground gangsters, and modern businessmen in order to maintain his addiction.

And as the years went by, the flavor had gradually begun to match his recollection of Kagome's candy treats more and more closely. The day he first ate a stick of Pocky, the kitsune had thought he might die with pleasure. It had been 1965, and he had flown to the shrine, wondering if Kagome had been born yet. After all, the chocolate tasted the same, and Japanese schoolgirls had been wearing seifuku since the turn of the century.

Sadly, he had been forced to wait. Each disappointment had forced him away from the shrine a bit longer. Finally, he had chastised himself to wait out a full 500 years, before growing impatient. And now, his preoccupation struck him as amusing – he should have trusted his instincts and his tongue. Chocolate would never have led him astray.

Seated on a bench in the courtyard of the shrine, he closed his eyes in ecstasy and allowed his latest treat to melt in his mouth. Sitting right beside him, Kagome stared curiously at her companion. Then, she glanced at her own candy, wondering why Shippo seemed to like it so much. It was just strawberry flavored Gummy Choco…

No answers would be forthcoming on this point, however, because before she could ask, the kitsune's eyes opened and he suspiciously sniffed the air. An opponent was trying to sneak up on him, whilst his senses were overwhelmed by the delicacy of a fruity flavor encased in white and milk chocolate! The indecency of it all! A poor five-tailed fox could find no peace, these days.

Growling in mock anger, Shippo addressed the empty air. "You might as well come out."

A surprised looking teenager dropped out of the sky to land in a crouch near Kagome's feet. The shrine maiden jumped in surprise, her Choco bites clattering onto the paving stones below. Shippo eyed them sorrowfully.

"How did you know it was me?" inquired the boy, petulantly crossing his arms over his chest.

The kitsune scoffed. "As if you could disguise yourself from the Master of Disguises."

After exchanging a few more words, the youngster abruptly leapt toward Shippo, only to discover his rival was no longer there. Kagome squeaked, flinching for the second time in as many minutes, as the visitor flashed toward the rooftops, pursuing his target, and her kitsune began the oddest sparring session she had ever seen outside of the feudal era. Both guests were obviously youkai. Human coloring and camouflage made no difference, if one was determined to jump over buildings faster than the human-eye could track. It was a clear giveaway.

Thankful that the shrine had no other guests at the moment, she called out reproachfully, "Boys, boys!"

Immediately, both youkai presented themselves before her, sporting almost identical looks of innocence and artless naiveté. "Naturally," she skeptically raised one brow, disbelief dripping from her tone. "You're both little angels, not intent upon destroying the carefully tiled roof of our shrine. Shippo, introduce us?"

But it was the teenager who stepped forward, his human disguise dissolving into white hair and golden eyes, as he stated his name. "Satoshi, at your service," the youkai said, grinning madly.

The smile did not fit his face, misplaced and wrong, beaming at her from beneath a navy blue crescent moon and beside pale lavender stripes. She stared and stared, but no words came, and the happiness faded from his eyes, uncertainty taking its place. "And your name?"

"This is Kagome," Shippo answered mildly, on her behalf. "You remember. I told you about her."

This time, it was his turn to look amazed.


	14. Chapter 14

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #14 **

A mini-Sesshoumaru.

Really, the resemblance was remarkable. Kagome felt startled every time she turned around and he was there. She would surreptitiously stare at him over the rim of her cup, if they went out for food. She would dart little glances his way, whenever she thought he wasn't looking. Luckily, Satoshi didn't seem to mind the extra-attention.

After finals, she had returned for winter break, excited to be home after living in a dormitory for the past few months. Shippo visited the shrine often too, adding to their little family and charming her brother Souta with tricks. But the one who snared her attention was Satoshi. It wasn't the poor kid's fault, she knew; he simply resembled his Father so strongly that she couldn't help drawing comparisons. Invariably, when he smiled or frowned or acted surprised, her heart would flutter, reminding her of a face long ago which never did any of those things.

Home for the holidays, just like Kagome, Satoshi told Shippo all about his studies in Europe, as the kitsune mocked whatever the clueless Europeans must be teaching him. Their easygoing relationship showed every sign of being a long-term friendship. But still, she could not get a straight answer from her fox-child. When had he joined Sesshoumaru's group? How long had he known Satoshi? Was Sesshoumaru still alive? Who was Satoshi's mom?

Shippo grinned impishly and explained that life was better with a mystery in it. Selfish, perhaps, but he needed to monopolize her time for a few weeks, after missing her for so many centuries. When the new year began, he promised that he would answer all her questions.

Meanwhile, she satisfied her curiosity by interrogating Satoshi. The boy didn't seem to know anything about her old companions from the feudal era, and he was prohibited from talking about his Father or their business interests without permission, but he happily told her anything else she wished to know. She learned his favorite foods, songs, colors, and his favorite animal (the dog, of course). He told her about modern-day Europe, living through the Boshin War, and about fighting for his life against a sea-dragon once, on a merchant ship with lots of helpless humans to defend. In turn, she told him everything she could remember about his Uncle Inuyasha, their adventures in the feudal era, and fighting against Naraku.

Between the two of them, she never did get around to searching for Inuyasha during the break, as she had planned. Besides, Shippo said he knew where her flighty ex-hanyou was hiding. For the time being, it was enough to know he was safe. It was also good to hear that he was gainfully employed. Relaxing into the winter vacation, she lavished attention on friends and family, both old and new.

As the days went by, Satoshi reminded her less of his impenetrable Father. There were traces of Sesshoumaru in his posture or the elegant arch of a brow, implying he knew things that you could never fathom. But there were also hints of mischievous fox-demon inside him, and Shippo clearly held a great deal of sway over the boy's opinions and actions. The boy had his own charm and character, and she was glad to know him.

Finally, the New Year approached. Ringing the temple bell at midnight on New Year's Eve, Kagome laughed gaily and felt all her worries lifting away from her. She had done many things in her short life already, but for a moment, instead of enfolding herself in the trappings of the past, she watched her future unfold like a spreading fan. The next day, the shrine was flooded with visitors. They sold a boatload of fake Shikon no Tama key-rings, and her grandfather claimed it was a sign of the coming year's prosperity. For once, she smiled and reinforced the old man's dreams rather than correcting him.

She wondered what Inuyasha was doing, while the rest of the country celebrated. When she thought about him now, some of the hurt was gone. She hoped he was happy.

And at last, the appointed day arrived. Shippo sat down with her privately after the start of the year, and told her whatever she wanted to know. But by now her first thought was not to ask after Inuyasha; she wanted to hear about Sesshoumaru and Satoshi instead. So, that was where he began.


	15. Chapter 15

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #15**

Happily ever after.

That was the way fairytales were supposed to end. And at first, it seemed like their story had ended well. After she left the feudal era, Sango and Miroku married and had several children. As promised, Shippo remained behind to guard the village, living many happy years with his guardians. Sango never did rebuild the demon-slayer's village, but her skills helped already existing communities grow and prosper.

But there were dark parts to the tale too. Miroku suffered phantom pains in his hand, even after the curse on his palm had been lifted. Kohaku eventually left the village for distant parts, hoping to atone for his past crimes by using his skills to serve others on his journey.

Most of all, time itself was the subtle destroyer of all they had built. Two generations passed, and few remembered firsthand what their group had done to defend the countryside. Demons aged slowly, and when Miroku passed away at the ripe old age of seventy, Shippo was still only the size of a ten-year old human boy. Without another holy figure in the village to defend his reputation, the local priestess launched a personal campaign to rid their community of its unsavory youkai parasite.

Kaede's replacement had taken an instant disliking to the kitsune when they first met, and she constantly sewed seeds of mistrust and fear into the others concerning demons like him. The fact that Shippo had a naturally disobedient, prideful nature did not help matters. Pranks that would have been dismissed as amusing and benign while Miroku lived soon began to be interpreted as irksome, even sinister.

The fox-child had not given in – one member of their former traveling party yet remained. For Sango, he knew he could be strong. Shippo doted on the aging lady, and she returned the favor. One day, she took him aside, and quietly gave him every weapon she had in her arsenal, drawing him a map of the ruined demon-slayers' village so that he might uncover hidden treasures there as well. He had known she must be dying, to settle her affairs like this, and his heart broke with the finality of it. Before long, he would be the only survivor of their pack – and though he was not young, he remained too small to lead the local demon-slayers, Sango's children and grandchildren.

But in the end, it was not Sango's death that marked his departure from the village.

The taijiya accepted a task from a local samurai warrior. Shippo acted as their scout, as usual, and everything went well, until he overheard a piercing wail from within a passing woodland. Alerting the others, all had agreed it was important to rescue whatever helpless person had been waylaid by youkai in the forest. They came upon a greying lady, maybe in her fifties, bloodied and curled into a protective ball on the ground. A rapidly weakening barrier had protected her, at first, but as the demon-slayers fought to defend her, more and more youkai gathered nearby, ravenously waiting for the barrier to fall.

"Something is calling them!" his team-leader had shouted. Thinking it might be the scent of her blood, Shippo had tried to heal the old woman's wounds, but her injuries were too severe. Seeming to recognize him, she had relaxed in his arms, revealing her precious cargo – a toddler with bright yellow eyes, silver hair and pale markings that Shippo would have known anywhere. This, then, had been the little voice he heard crying out for help.

"Tell Sesshoumaru-sama I love him," the lady had murmured, "And I am sorry I did not… protect…"

The light had faded from her eyes, all too soon, and the toddler had clutched her kimono silently, his golden gaze free of tears and empty of emotion. As the child went into shock, the taijiya finished dispatching the horde of lesser-demons that thronged around them, and his team-leader caught a glimpse of the exotic-looking boy that this strange woman had just died to defend. "A youkai," he frowned, "It looks human too. This is what we worked to save?"

It went without saying that such a powerful, defenseless babe would draw many hunters, each seeking to steal the child's strength for their own. The other taijiya grumbled in annoyance and strapped their weapons back on, obviously intent upon returning to the village. But Shippo knew that this was not just _any _child. Sesshoumaru would destroy them all in the blink of an eye, if he thought the townspeople were guilty of this little boy's death. The dog-demon would track their scents and demand to know why they had done nothing. He would burn the entire village down and rip their hearts out with his bare claws, if this little one died. Or so it seemed to Shippo. The kitsune could still remember the mask of rage that Sesshoumaru had worn, when Naraku threatened Rin. If a small orphan human girl could inspire that kind of loyalty and wrath from the dog-demon, what would he do for his heir?

Tearing off a blood-soaked section of the old woman's kimono, Shippo gathered the child in his arms and ran. It was his last act of mercy, toward a village that no longer needed or wanted his help. Laying down a scent trail in the opposite direction, he prayed it would draw the taiyoukai away from his friends.


	16. Chapter 16

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #16**  
_**  
Where is she?!**_

Even today, he could recall the angry hiss, and the feeling of impending doom that had shot down his spine when he heard the taiyoukai speak in that eerily calm yet deranged tone. After hiding in the forest for days, Shippo had begun to wonder where Sesshoumaru was and what was taking him so long. Had someone managed the unthinkable and actually defeated the Lord of the West in battle?

When he had awoken out of a light doze to the fierce gaze of a furious demon-lord, Shippo could no longer remember why he had been so impatient to greet death. Sesshoumaru was about a thousand times stronger than the underage kitsune. His only chance had been to explain the circumstances immediately.

"Who was the woman?" Kagome inquired curiously, when Shippo trailed off into silence, after the first stage of his story.

Her question brought him out of his memories with a start. "Rin," he elaborated sadly, "But I didn't know that at the time."

"Rin?!" Kagome gasped. Obviously she remembered the bright little girl in an orange and white checkered kimono, and she felt sorry to hear of the girl's sad ending. "Oh, so Satoshi wasn't her son…"

"Of course not," Shippo rolled his eyes, "He's a full-demon." But then, the miko came closer to the truth than she might have thought. Again though, he hadn't known that at the time. "Do you want me to tell this tale or not?" asked the kitsune peevishly.

"Sorry," muttered Kagome, looking slightly sheepish but not ashamed of her interruption. "What happened?"

"I have never seen Sesshoumaru so livid," the fox-demon sighed, "Sometimes when a youkai gets into that state, all it can do is kill something. Or in _his _case, a lot of things. He was nice enough not to make me one of them, probably because I was holding Satoshi…"

The anguish that had poured off of Sesshoumaru that night had been palpable – a twisting, snarling beast of rage that seemed like it might never be satisfied. And yet throughout, his expression had been so utterly calm, devoid of all passion or sensation, that Shippo had wondered if the taiyoukai was actually dead. Eventually, the dog-demon had passed out, his spiritual energy completely depleted and his physical strength gone. It looked as though he had been through a severe fight, even before finding his son with the kitsune.

When he finally rejoined the land of the living, he had sat motionless for hours. Then, without warning, he had gotten up and walked away, and Shippo had followed. The kitsune knew he could never return to his village. People would think he betrayed them for a youkai child, showing his true roots at last. And Sesshoumaru was oddly unfit to care for a child. No female youkai ever stepped forward to care for Satoshi, so somehow, the duty had fallen to Shippo by default.

There was more to the story, of course, much more. But he didn't think Kagome needed to know it all. Suffice it to say that he had been there with Sesshoumaru when the sun rose again the next day, and the next, and the next… He had imitated the taiyoukai's moves often enough that the dog-demon reluctantly began to teach _a fox _some of the dog-demon clan's proud techniques. He had trusted Sesshoumaru enough to tell him the truth about Kagome and Inuyasha – but until recently, the disdainful dog had not believed him, fancying it a story, a fond hope cherished by a childlike fox who was unwilling to let go of his past.

Over the years, the humans had waxed stronger, while youkai waned. The few demons that remained gradually drew together, and Shippo could not count how many disguises or transformation spells he had cast, helping his fellows blend in to human society. He had been there when Sesshoumaru lost his first holding to a human damiyo, and then another, and another…

And he had been there the day Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, and Leader of the Dogs, surrendered his goals and began to fight for humans instead.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Someone pointed out these aren't really "drabbles" anymore – it is turning into a cohesive story. So I changed the chapter titles. Does it still sound cool? : p  
**  
A Distant Promise – A Tale Told in Ultra-Short Segments – Mini-Chapter #17**

A new beginning.

It had been a long time coming. In hindsight, Shippo could see a subtle resignation had pervaded the taiyoukai's actions since the day he joined their pack. Nothing had ever held his master's attention or sparked his interest. For centuries, the taiyoukai had wearily gone through the motions of ruling, as humans grew in power and numbers. Like other youkai, they went into hiding when it was appropriate, but not once did Sesshoumaru stop fighting for his land and their traditions. Until one day, he just quit.

Saying that Sesshoumaru 'surrendered his goals' was unfair, perhaps. Instead, one might say the taiyoukai became tired of tradition, and he began to fight for change instead. Sesshoumaru woke up and started to pay attention to the world again. He had been detached for so long that Shippo had considered apathy to be his natural state. No one had ever wondered whether Sesshoumaru was _happy_. But the transformation had been as obvious as it was sudden, like watching him come out of a long, protracted depression all at once.

Black ships had come to Japan, and the human Shogunate had been battling with Choushu and Satsuma, while the fate of the restored Emperor hung in the balance. It had been unclear which side intended to cooperate with the foreigners and which side wanted to banish them. Fascinating foreign technology and weaponry had flooded the country, as opposed to the mere trickle that existed in previous centuries. All in all, it had been a perfect time for a fresh start.

And when Sesshoumaru picked a team, it won. It didn't really matter which side he chose. Either way, his support would have helped to carry the day. As it was, he decided to assist whomever most favored the Emperor, because at least that line was descended from the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. Shippo understood this to mean that favorable roots should not be forgotten, and perhaps a certain taiyoukai missed being treated like royalty too.

Japanese youkai found a foothold in the new government, and they had slowly started to flourish again. Fashions came and went, and they had both cut their hair. Ultimately, Sesshoumaru had become a businessman not a politician – an immortal in public office might be too noticeable – but he still carried a lot of clout behind the scenes. It helped him to have something to control again, Shippo thought, after all the losses he had suffered.

As for the kitsune's relationship with Satoshi, a unique sort of rapport had developed between them. Shippo was more than a brother, yet the role of Father was already filled. What else could be said?

"It must have been hard for him, to grow up watching his Father losing more and more land, prestige and power," Kagome sympathized, once he finished, her eyes slightly glazed from all the information that Shippo had conveyed. Still, she had asked to know about Sesshoumaru and Satoshi, and the kitsune had merely been honoring her wishes.

"Nah," corrected Shippo casually, "Satoshi never really cared about those things. That was his Father." Leaning back into the cushions on the sofa, Shippo observed the miko through half-lidded eyes.

"But maybe he felt neglected because his Father was spending so much time on other things?" Kagome pushed the issue.

A soft chuckle set her fears to rest. "If Satoshi ever felt overlooked, he came to me, and I helped him plan horrible tricks to play on people. Especially Sesshoumaru."

"Shippo!" she swatted his arm jokingly. "You didn't!"

"Well, I couldn't deceive him directly – I never wanted to test his patience – but Sesshoumaru was absolutely certain not to kill his _son _for insolence…" The fox-demon grinned unrepentantly. "It was the perfect solution, you see?"


	18. Chapter 18

**A Distant Promise – Drabble #18 **

Bad Hair Day.

That was the only way to describe it. She was having a Bad Hair Day at the worst possible moment. Everything was wrong, from the way her baggy, sleep-deprived looking eyes, to the way she could not decide what to wear. Furthermore, she could not obtain her trademarked, classic looking, wavy hair-style. This style had been a personal point of pride in the past, layers of hair falling around her face in soft, gentle curves. It had been a first line of defense – a sure-fire way to make certain no one mistook her for Kikyou.

But today, for some reason, her hair wouldn't lie flat! She was going to visit Inuyasha, and she had promised Shippo she would be ready by noon. It was exasperating. It was horrible. How was she to make a favorable impression on her old boyfriend, if she didn't look her best?

As it turned out, she needn't have bothered.

When Shippo and Kagome arrived at the restaurant where they were scheduled to meet Inuyasha, they discovered he had not come yet. After waiting for over an hour, the shrine maiden had thrown down her napkin in disgust, sending a withering look toward the innocent kitsune on the other side of the table. "Where is he?" she demanded.

Perplexed by his former guardian's behavior, Shippo responded with confusion. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Kagome."

"Maybe he forgot," mused Kagome, although she did not really believe it. "Why don't you just tell me where he works, and I can go look for him there?"

Now, the kitsune displayed obvious discomfort, shifting uneasily in his chair. "You must understand my position, Kagome," he replied in a pacifying tone uncannily reminiscent of Miroku, "I do not understand why you two fought, but if he has not informed you of his address, then I can only imagine this is because he does not wish to be found by you yet."

Then, seeing her close to tears, Shippo quickly added, "I'm certain that he only needs time. Inuyasha will come around, you'll see."

She nodded agreeably, although he could almost see the frustration and hurt swelling below the surface of her skin. "I don't blame you," said Kagome. "I always hated being stuck as the go-between for my high-school friends too."

For a while, they watched cars drifting by on the sleepy side road of the restaurant Shippo had picked out. Then, they left to enjoy the view along the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. After traveling for hours to reach a suitable half-way point between her shrine and Inuyasha's place of employment, she felt entitled to sightsee a little bit. But eventually, she let Shippo take her home.

Having a Bad Hair Day was always sign of disappointment to come, she thought.


	19. Chapter 19

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 19**

"What about you?"

Both Kagome and Satoshi turned to face Shippo, presenting a united front. The kitsune stared at the two of them, eyeing their eager faces with distrust. "What do you mean?" he sputtered, blushing. "My love-life is perfectly fine, thank you very much."

Their conversation had started innocently enough – Satoshi had commiserated with Kagome over her problems with Inuyasha. The black-haired shrine maiden had never been one too keep deep, dark secrets – when something annoyed her (namely, Inuyasha), everyone knew about it. After venting for several minutes, she had apologized to the youthful youkai for burdening him with her problems, only to watch in inevitable fascination as a flush of embarrassed red had tinted his cheeks.

This was, of course, much too good for Shippo and Kagome to pass up. Catching a hint of potential, priceless gossip, Shippo had pounced on his friend and demanded an explanation. Shyly, Satoshi had shared his girl-troubles. There was a girl in Europe that he liked, but she was a human, and the young dog-demon was concerned about telling his Father this bit of bad news.

Solicitously, Kagome and Shippo had consoled him. Yes, his troubles were definitely deeper than hers. No, he shouldn't hold back from telling his Father the good news, just because he felt self-conscious and uncertain. Kagome had made him laugh by telling him about Hojo – and all of the poor, kind-hearted boy's failed attempts to win her heart – and Shippo had responded in kind, by telling stories about Kouga – yet another victim of the beautiful shrine maiden's charms.

And just like that, the conversation had turned into a game. Who could name the most outrageous love-interest or experience out of them all? Because Satoshi and Kagome were closest in age, and both had recently attended high-school, they had a shocking number of stories to tell about other people. But the fox-demon merely laughed, without sharing any of his own tales.

Suddenly realizing that he had shared nothing of himself, all of this time, the shrine maiden had turned the tables on her friend. "Come on, Shippo," she whined, "I told all about Inuyasha and Hojo and Kouga. It's only fair…"

"Well, there was one foxy-lady once," he smirked self-depreciatingly, "But … things didn't work out between us. And then, she died, so I couldn't really patch-up the relationship."

"Oh," murmured Kagome, a frown marring her previously happy expression. "I'm sorry…"

Satoshi swung one foot toward his mentor, striking the kitsune in the shin, underneath the table. "Not that one!" pouted the boy. "That happened centuries ago, anyway. Tell her about Chinchi!"

Now, the fox-demon looked truly flustered. A smile crept back onto the miko's face. She tried to hide it by sipping her milkshake, but Shippo knew he had been caught. "So, there is someone?" she prodded her friend.

"Well, no." Raising his eyes to the ceiling, the fox-demon vowed silently to kill a certain traitorous little pup later in the evening. "You know of the legends surrounding kitsune, right? Every century, a fox spirit can grow another tail, and after 1,000 years, the oldest kitsune turn silver or gold, and gain the ability to see or hear anything in the world…"

"Right," nodded Kagome, her eyes wide with anticipation. "Wait. Are you seriously going to be an all powerful demon, if you just survive long enough?"

"Of course not," the red-head disagreed calmly. "If I just sit around and never do anything to increase my skills, I would never gain any additional tails, whatsoever. But the possibility is there. And you have already identified the problem, in a roundabout sort of way. After spending a millennia or so on this earth, most foxes are just too powerful to remain here." At this, Shippo blushed slightly. "Supposedly, the gods offer a choice – you can join the other gods in their palace in heaven, or you can be sealed into a human form and stay in this world."

The idea sounded rather fishy to Kagome, but she chose not to mention it. Still, it was rather amusing that in some ways, demons were no better informed than humans. When it came to the gods and higher powers of nature, even Shippo sounded a bit sketchy on his information. "What does this have to do with your love-interest?" she pouted, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

"Eh…" delayed Shippo. "Like I said, some of the most powerful foxes choose to remain in this realm, reincarnated into human bodies over and over again. Which means that if you look hard enough…"

Satoshi interrupted with a wicked grin. "He has a crush on a two-year old. A powerful two-year old, who will be able to slap him around, when she grows up."

Shoulders sinking, Shippo's posture deflated as he stared across the table at the white-haired menace he had once called a friend. "She's three now," he protested, as if this made a large amount of difference. "Argh! Stop making me sound like a pedophile."

"Hmm," nodded the shrine maiden sympathetically. "Yes, I can see how that would be awkward. Telling a girl that she is the reincarnation of a nine-tailed fox-spirit, and that you have been stalking her since she was small…"

"Kagome!" groaned the kitsune, putting his hands over his head. "You're _not _helping!"

"On the plus side," mused the miko, "It does make me feel better about my relationship with Inuyasha."


	20. Chapter 20

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 20**

No. Absolutely not.

Out of the question. Completely unacceptable. An unsuitable, totally inappropriate match.

At least, these were the things that Sesshoumaru wanted to say, as he stared stonily at his son over the top of his desk. Instead, he bit his tongue and tried to remember what it felt like to be young and in love. Young and _stupid_. Contrary to popular belief, even the great Lord of the West had felt that way once. He was simply old enough now to recognize what a horrible mistake it had been.

Recognizing his Father's dark expression, Satoshi squirmed uneasily. After hearing Shippo's encouragement, he had bravely decided to try telling his Father about the girl he liked, but it wasn't going as well as he had hoped. "What do you have against humans, anyway?" the boy asked rancorously.

The elder dog-demon tapped his nails against the hardwood desk. He thought back to his own childhood. What would his Father have said in this situation? But no, such comparisons did no good. The late Inu-no-Taisho would probably have laughed, that great big, booming, boisterous laugh of his, and then encouraged his son to take as many partners as possible, no matter what species or age. The old youkai had defined 'playboy' before it became a word. So, in the end, he drifted lost and alone in the uncertain waters of parenting.

"I have nothing against humans, in general," the taiyoukai ground out between gritted teeth, lying every step of the way, attempting to sound more reasonable than he really felt. "Just _that one_."

"You don't even _know _her!" Satoshi complained, a hint of wildness creeping into his tone.

This, Sesshoumaru supposed, was true. He knew very little of his half-brother's miko. All he knew of her in the past was based on assumption, conjecture, and the words of an immature fox-kit. As it turned out, the kitsune had been right – there was such a thing as time-travel. But that did not make Sesshoumaru feel any better about his current quandary. As usual, his son visited Shippo, over his winter break. But this month, the fox-demon had trailed his long-lost priestess around like a helpless puppy with its tail between its legs. This meant that his son had, in turn, spent a great deal of time with the priestess…

And now, the boy believed he was in love with a human woman. One he had only met _recently_, who was smart and vivacious and _knew all about demons_, but treated them like people anyway… Sesshoumaru felt like breaking something. His claws itched with the desire to crush or melt or otherwise mangle something – anything – preferably a priceless treasure that could never be replaced.

For heaven's sake, what made her so special? Did the priestess have some kind of perfume that attracted dog-demons? Perhaps this was revenge. Now that his half-brother was human, and the wicked woman had failed to ensnare Inuyasha in her web, she had turned her greedy eyes on the next available inuyoukai. His son. Satoshi. Who was, all things considered, innocent of any wrongdoing in this matter. Here, the fault lay firmly on that miko's shoulders, Sesshoumaru decided.

"I know her well enough," muttered the older demon. A piece of the desk splintered beneath his claws, and he stared at it for a moment, before liquefying it using his poison. Satoshi fell silent. "We will speak of this further when you return, at the end of your next term," Sesshoumaru continued, staring at the melted corner of his desk in a mesmerized fashion. "In the meantime, focus on your studies. She is not going anywhere."

"Um…" blinked Satoshi, confused by his Father's response, but unwilling to question his good fortune. "Okay?"

As his son quietly left to pack his belongings, Sesshoumaru imagined various scenarios in which he could get rid of an annoying miko, without people being any the wiser. It might upset the kitsune, of course; an unfortunate side-effect. Thoughts of the fox-demon reminded him of a conversation they had held a few days earlier. Shippo had been trying to devise some kind of plan to reunite his half-brother and the hapless miko. At the time, he had ignored it, since devious plotting was par for the course with a fox-demon. Now, he would humor the kitsune.


	21. Chapter 21

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 21 **

"Here's the plan!"

The kitsune rubbed his hands together gleefully. Honestly, the idea that Sesshoumaru might be willing to participate in one of his mad schemes had been the craziest idea of all, but Shippo did not question his luck. He ran with it. "Since Inuyasha seems reluctant to speak with you," the fox-demon continued enthusiastically, "It is up to me to meet with him and figure out what went wrong in their relationship. So, it will be up to you to talk to Kagome…"

Glazed golden-eyes gazed back at him, and after a few more minutes of instruction, Shippo realized his audience was no longer paying attention. "Sesshoumaru!" chastised the fox-spirit, "Are you even listening? You promised that you would help. Have you changed your mind so soon?"

With a sigh, the taiyoukai focused on his companion again, signaling Shippo to continue. This was for Satoshi. He had to comply with the kitsune's wishes, just this once, in order to push the miko back toward his half-brother and away from his son.

"Right, then." Nodding in affirmation, the red-headed fox persevered. "Inuyasha doesn't _want _to speak with me about Kagome, so technically I have the harder job, here. All you have to do is listen to her. And maybe reassure her a little bit…"

The taiyoukai glared daggers at his opponent, at this comment, and Shippo quickly backed off. "Okay! Maybe reassurance is asking a little bit too much. Listening, without intimidating her, should be good enough."

And that was how a certain white-haired demon found himself standing at the foot of the shrine steps, with a pen and paper, ready to take notes on human behavior. His list of things to do was very clear-cut: (1) befriend miko, (2) speak with miko about idiotic sibling, (3) write down everything the woman said, and hand the notepad over to Shippo for further research. This was all the stupid fox-child's idea, in the first place.

Unfortunately, his list, while specific and easy to read, was hard to implement. How was he supposed to make friends with a woman he didn't know or particularly like? Shippo claimed that merely showing up at the shrine would do the trick. According to the kitsune, she asked many questions about him, and she would eagerly jump at the chance to get to know him better.

Sesshoumaru didn't feel nearly as certain as the fox, on this issue. It was simple. He didn't like being friendly with others, and others didn't act amicably toward him. Just because the priestess was _nosy _did not mean that she wanted to become acquainted with him.

Rubbing his temples, Sesshoumaru tried to stave off a headache. Rapid footsteps descending the steps drew his attention toward the shrine. As if on cue, the priestess (Kagome, he reminded himself – he had to remember her name now) looked up in surprise, gradually slowing to a stop, as she stared at him. "Se-Sesshoumaru?" she mouthed in shock, immediately recognizing him despite his human disguise.

He bowed and then realized he had no clue what to say next. 'How have you been' seemed too inane, and 'Tell me about Inuyasha' was too direct. And heaven forbid that he ask her out to dinner, or coffee, or something like that. The woman might think he was interested in her, which he wasn't.

Luckily, the woman took this decision out of his hands. "Are you here to see the shrine?" she asked in puzzlement. "I would show you, but I have to catch the train. This was the last day of my break, you see, and I'm going back to the campus and it is a long trip, so… It's not that I don't want to stay and talk with you, it's just that…"

"I will drive you," he announced curtly. It appeared the kitsune had been right – she had the ability to talk endlessly, given the slightest prompting. Making her nervous only seemed to exacerbate this condition. Perhaps interrogating this priestess would not be as hard as he thought at first.

Ignoring her dumbstruck expression, he turned and waited for her at the base of the shrine.


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note: Slight Spoilers for manga chapters 491 and 514, in reference to Inuyasha assisting his brother against certain enemies. Also slight spoiler for manga chapter 549, in reference to Naraku's comment about the brothers.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 22**

An awkward silence.

As lights and buildings flickered by through the windows of the car, Kagome fidgeted and tried to restrain herself from playing with the many controls and buttons in the vehicle. It was, she supposed, a very nice automobile. Not that she knew much about cars, but the sleek design and leather interior reeked of money. In fact, this might have been a very comfortable, enjoyable ride, had she not been so tense.

So far, Sesshoumaru had provided monosyllabic answers to everything she asked, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had somehow angered the stately youkai. In the past, the taiyoukai had never been friendly or conversational. But back then, there had been good reason for him to keep his distance. Inuyasha and his sibling had played a violent game of sibling rivalry. Each was willing to rescue the other, if the situation demanded it. But neither one ever admitted that his sibling was important. The half-brothers had remained eternally aloof and detached from one another.

For some reason, she had always assumed that their love-hate relationship would not survive the test of time. Eventually, she had assumed that one of the brothers would break down and start being civil to his only remaining family member. Miroku had commented several times that Sesshoumaru seemed to protect his little brother in life-or-death fights, and Inuyasha had leapt to his elder brother's defense several times, as well – most notably, when Sesshoumaru fought Shishinki and Magatsuhi. Clearly, the half-brothers liked each other well-enough to fight on each other's behalf. Heck, even Naraku had snidely described them as 'comrades.' So why was Sesshoumaru still acting so cold and unfeeling?

At first, she had been shocked to recognize the taiyoukai's features in a human form. Recalling what Shippo told her about demons disguising themselves as people, she had been pleasantly surprised to learn this camouflage did not actually change his appearance. The Lord of the West still looked just as regal as before – possibly even more so, in a modern suit and tie.

Next, she had been flattered and thrilled. Sesshoumaru traveled all the way to her family shrine, in order to meet her, and he had politely offered to drive hours and hours out of his way, just to have a chance to talk to her. What other explanation could there be? But now, after the pervading silence of the journey, she was not so sure anymore.

"I met your son," she announced, trying once more to lighten the mood, "He has been very well-raised. You must be very proud of him."

"Indeed," the taiyoukai replied, visibly tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

Kagome realized she had said the wrong thing, yet again. Honestly, the man was more prickly than a porcupine. Finally, her temper flared and she broke the strained, polite silence with one of her usual outbursts. "Okay, look. Do you have some kind of problem with me?" asked the miko, "Because if so, just say whatever is bothering you and get it off your chest. I can't take this anymore."

Pulling the vehicle to the side of the road, he switched off the engine and faced her, his face a solemn mask. She felt subtle wisps of youki curling angrily around her form in the passenger seat, and she squirmed uneasily, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.

"Satoshi is a very admirable young man," the dog-demon explained, as though she were a recalcitrant two-year old. "He may look like Inuyasha, and his age and maturity reflect that of… the Inuyasha that you first met, years ago. But Satoshi is nothing like his Uncle. He will not replace what you've lost, miko."

By this time, her eyes were wide with astonishment, and her right hand fluttered under her chin, betraying her unease. "What I lost…" she repeated back to him, "Wait, you think that…"

The accusation was so ridiculous that she wasn't sure whether to laugh or to cry. Did Sesshoumaru really think she was interested in his son? Wordlessly, she shook her head.

"You are merely toying with his affections, then?" growled an irate demon. As appalling as his original thought might have been, his current suspicion was even darker. Somehow, the idea that she might _not _like his boy was even more insulting than the idea that she _did_.

"No!" squeaked the priestess hastily, "You're crazy! Satoshi likes some girl in Europe."

The atmosphere lightened considerably, and his spiritual energy decreased, coiling tightly around him again where it belonged. Kagome discovered that she had skittered away from him during the exchange, and she was currently pressed unflatteringly against the car door. Smoothing out her skirt, she glared at the taiyoukai once more, for entertaining such absurd, demented notions in the first place.

But her irritation evaporated once she saw his expression. For the first time that evening, the ferocious demon-lord that she had known in years past was completely absent. Instead, he looked every inch the concerned parent. Her heart thawed toward him a little bit.

"Uh oh," she murmured, "Did you absolutely forbid him to see or speak to her, ever again?"

An unexpected flush of color crept its way across his cheeks, marking the space that stripes would have covered in his true form. "No," Sesshoumaru answered, with a rare smile that drew her gaze and held it fast. "I wanted to, but I have found that it doesn't work."

"Hehe!" laughed the priestess easily, "My mother told me not to climb the Goshinboku tree once… I broke my arm doing it, the next day."

Tension relieved, they drove on, and Kagome relaxed into the smooth cushions of her seat. It was a comfortable car, after all.


	23. Chapter 23

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 23 **

"Friends?" she asked.

As Kagome exited the car, she leaned on the door, bending down to look him in the eyes. Her smile was infectious and he found he did not even mind the fingerprints she was putting on the uppermost corner of the window. Instead his gaze was treacherously drawn toward her cleavage. Any sensible woman surely knew that leaning over like that allowed others to see… Well, it was a rather low-cut shirt.

But then, he remembered that this woman was one of the most oblivious humans on the face of the planet. She constantly made stupid mistakes that worked out for her in the end. Take the shattering of the Shikon no Tama, for instance. Or the way the girl had miraculously survived his toxic poison claws in his Father's gravesite. In other words, she probably had no idea what her shirt was doing, and no red-blooded male would ever tell her.

"Hn." Tearing his gaze away, he stared straight ahead, wondering when exactly his senses had left him. He was a sensible, well-adjusted, mature person. He did not ogle human women's undergarments, even if they were carnation pink and drew the eye.

With one last smile, she shut the car door and walked toward her dormitory with a wave. It looked squalid and tiny, and he conjectured that the inside must be even worse than the exterior. But with low grades and no extra-curricular activities to recommend her, this was likely one of the only universities that Kagome had been able to attend.

Something about the evening disturbed him. Part of his agitation was due to his own stupidity. He had blundered badly, this evening, by assuming the miko and his son had feelings for one another and blindly leaping to a conclusion without ensuring his facts were correct. Embarrassment was not Sesshoumaru's favorite feeling and he didn't like to give apologies. The miko had not demanded an apology; however, this did not change the fact that she deserved one.

But seeing the ramshackle dormitory in which she lived caused him an unsettling feeling, too. The guardian of the Shikon no Tama and the strongest miko to live in centuries deserved more recognition than this tiny little school could ever afford her. Knowing the truth about her past to a certain extent, it bothered him to see such an ending for the priestess. Similarly, Inuyasha should not stagnate in a low-paying position in an inn beside a distant onsen. Whatever else he might think about Inuyasha, his half-brother had earned his respect in battle.

Thus, this woman's cheery declaration that they were friends bothered him. Sesshoumaru had never done anything friendly or auspicious toward the miko or his half-brother, so Inuyasha's anger had been slightly painful but not unexpected. Yet the priestess had simply put the past aside and smiled.

He had never gotten around to asking the fox-demon's ridiculous questions, so he would have to meet with her again, in any case. But if he actually planned to be a _friend_ to her, then he would do this on his own terms. The kitsune's ridiculous scheming was not his style. Sesshoumaru approached his problems in a straightforward manner, and real friendship had to be based in honesty and trust.

Opening the door to the driver's side, he slipped out of the car and tailed the priestess. Surprised, she turned to wait. "The fox-child is plotting against you," stated the taiyoukai blandly, once he caught up with her smaller form. "He seeks to reunite you with Inuyasha."

Kagome only blinked. "Oh, I see," she intoned curiously, "What is your role in all this?"

"I am supposed to ask you about Inuyasha," the dog-demon sniffed, "To discover what you liked most and least about your relationship."

This time she furiously stifled a giggle. The eternally aloof taiyoukai forced to play matchmaker for his estranged half-brother? That was rich. Shippo must have a silver tongue to be able to talk him into such lunacy.

"Well, I don't know if that qualifies as a sinister scheme," replied the priestess, "Shippo is only trying to help."

Raising one brow, her companion expressed utter disbelief. "Indeed, it is," Sesshoumaru answered smoothly. "No one should be forced to date my half-brother."

Never in a thousand years would she have expected to hear a joke from the stoic Lord of the Western Lands. And yet, it was not very difficult to imagine the 'old' Sesshoumaru saying something this. Past and present seemed coiled inextricably around each other in the modern youkai, and she realized she did not know him at all.

Bursting into laughter, she covered her mouth with one hand and tried to tell herself it wasn't as funny as it sounded. But it did no good. The giggling would not stop. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru," she added after a few moments. "I appreciate that you let me know."

His expression never changed, but inside, he was pleased. He had made the right decision.


	24. Chapter 24

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 24**

All things aged.

Even trees and rocks and the ocean itself, everything grew older. Time had a relentless way of reshaping the world around her. As a former time-traveler, she was more familiar with this concept than most.

Thus, it should not have surprised her that Sesshoumaru looked so different in this era. He didn't look old. Had he been human, he might have been approaching his middle-aged years. Still, whenever she saw the subtle lines on his forehead and between his eyes, it shocked her to realize that he was aging.

Slowly but steadily, the years had chipped away at the youthful taiyoukai's appearance, and now he seemed slightly more careworn, more experienced and mature. She could tell that he had frowned more than he smiled, and that he would be an extremely graceful looking old-man. Much better than her grandfather, anyway. Her grandfather shuffled and hunched his back. Sesshoumaru would never allow himself to do any of those things.

They were meeting in the middle of the day, in a noodle-shop close by her campus. The taiyoukai had bought her lunch, but he refused to eat anything himself, as usual. It made her feel slightly guilty to eat in front of him when she knew he didn't have a plate.

It also made her feel slightly guilty to realize that for weeks now, neither one of them had volunteered a single word about Inuyasha. The dog-demon didn't really know much about his half-brother in this time period, and Kagome was reluctant to discuss her relationship with a potentially mortifying audience member like Sesshoumaru. Her meetings with Sesshoumaru were valuable to her for other reasons. Like a plank steadying her in an ocean of uncertainty, he was a link to the past. It calmed her to see him mostly unchanged by the passing years – unlike Shippo who had drastically grown, or Inuyasha who had literally transformed into a human.

"Are you older than your Father…?" she asked, abruptly breaking the comfortable silence.

The question was vague. As old as his Father when? What point in his Father's life was she asking about? But she didn't want to be any more specific. She knew how the legendary Inu-no-Taisho had died, and she knew that he knew that she knew. Hopefully, her inquiry would be clear without broaching the sensitive subject of his death in a more obvious way.

Interestingly enough, however, he assumed that she was referring to a different point in the Inu-no-Taisho's life. "I am around the same age as my Father was," he replied steadily, "When he first fell in love with a human."

In a way, his answer said a great deal about his mentality. Humans focused on death – an ending that came too soon. It made sense that an immortal would emphasize other turning points.

With a blush, she ran over several responses in her mind. Sympathy would be unappreciated. Feigning ignorance would be impossible. Levity would be inappropriate.

Finally, she copied a page out of his book of non-committal, frustrating rejoinders. "Hm," Kagome answered, returning to her soup.


	25. Chapter 25

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 25**

Blushing, fidgeting, stammering.

Something was seriously wrong with the priestess today, Sesshoumaru thought. In the past, she had been mouthy and overly-confident, willing to defend her friends in a fight to the death, even if she did not have the skills to do so. Her bashful behavior today was wholly out-of-keeping with his memories of her.

Because he had never seen Kagome act like a shy schoolgirl, Sesshoumaru found the change vaguely amusing. He let it continue for quite a long time, before he asked her what was wrong.

She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh, it's nothing," she said, "I was just wondering…"

"Well, that is I had a question…"

"You see, I hope this doesn't sound too…"

After her third failed attempt to carry on a conversation, he started to wonder if the problem was more serious than it first seemed. Perhaps the miko had suffered a nervous breakdown, and this was her manner of showing it? But no. Obviously, she simply had an uncomfortable request to make of him, and she did not know how to phrase it.

Rubbing his nose in exasperation, he sniffed imperiously. "Ask your question, miko."

Her eyes grew large and liquid, and for a moment, the taiyoukai had trouble looking into them. Blatant concern was written across her features. "I was wondering about Satoshi's mother," she finally concluded.

The sounds of the tiny restaurant faded away, as the reason for her discontent became clear. Naturally, she must have noticed that Satoshi had only one parent. He wondered if she had tried interrogating the kitsune, or if she had skipped over Shippo and decided to go straight to the source. Secretly, he hoped it was the latter, since the idea of a nosy fox-demon discussing his personal affairs rubbed his fur the wrong way.

"She is dead," Sesshoumaru replied blandly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," came the blue-eyed woman's heartfelt reply, accompanied by another blush. "Do you miss…"

"No."

His interruption startled the priestess right out of the sympathetic rut that had entrapped her. She stared. Strangely, he found himself needing to explain his brusque dismissal. Not that it mattered, surely, whether this woman thought of him as insensitive and cruel. It was simply that… he… Well, in any case, he would clarify.

"Satoshi was the product of a mutually beneficial arrangement between two powerful taiyoukai," Sesshoumaru stated coolly, "Nothing more."

But his words only worsened the situation. Now, she began to pity his son instead of the deceased mother. Whispering, as if nearby customers might hear her over the cacophonous background noise, she asked, "Does Satoshi know that?"

Yes, his son was aware of that fact. But intuition told Sesshoumaru that it would be a very, very bad idea to inform the miko of this. Children in the modern era were pampered and proudly touted for their achievements. Love was an all-important concern. Arranged marriages occurred less and less often. And this was the culture in which the miko formed her beliefs and opinions.

Instead of answering her loaded question, he sidestepped. "Satoshi never knew his mother. But rest assured, he has always been well-cared for."

It did no good. She was determined to quietly torment him on this subject. "There is a difference between caring for and taking care of a child."

"Rin did both," Sesshoumaru replied dismissively. Of course, right about then he felt the hot water close over his head. He had slipped, for the first time in years, and allowed Rin to enter not only his thoughts, but also his dialogue. That did not bode well. How had this ridiculous conversation started again?


	26. Chapter 26

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter #26**

"Rin did both."

If the statement hadn't been so intriguing, Kagome felt certain she would have laughed at his expression. The normally placid taiyoukai looked distinctly uncomfortable and nervous. His gaze met hers, and she could almost see him working out a way to avoid answering her next inquiry.

So, she did not do him the favor of having one. The priestess simply crossed her legs and waited, expectantly. As the minutes passed, however, Kagome realized belatedly that she could not outwait Sesshoumaru. He was practically the pioneer of the silent treatment. A true master at evasion through wordless glares and cold shoulders.

To break the tension with an easy question, she asked what Rin had been like as she grew older. Somehow though, this only seemed to make the situation worse. And… good heavens… Was that a blush staining his cheeks?

"Shippo said that she died protecting Satoshi from a band of marauding demons," the miko continued uneasily, wondering why her usually composed and stoic companion was acting so strangely. "Rin must have loved him very much."

The glass in his right hand shattered under the force he was exerting, drawing a startled shriek from the priestess. Sesshoumaru watched the water forming lazy trails across the table, snaking its way between shards of glass. Kagome tried to calm down again – her heart was racing after that brief scare. Clearly, she had said something wrong, but she had no idea what or why.

"Right, sorry… I didn't mean to…" she murmured, wondering if his hand hurt, after breaking his water-glass. Luckily, their waitress had not wandered by the table at that moment, so no one was any the wiser about a guest in the restaurant who could accidentally crush glass in his fist. "I'm sorry…"

With a sigh, the taiyoukai started to pick shards out of his skin. Although his emotionless mask remained firmly in place, Kagome could feel the anguish tainting his youki. Normally, his aura was carefully controlled, but at the moment it shifted uncomfortably beneath its master's skin, and little bursts of energy licked at her senses like flame as she watched him repair his right hand.

"In the end, Rin grew to care for Satoshi," he admitted finally, "It was me that she could not forgive."

"What do you mean?" asked Kagome, puzzled. "She idolized you."

"Rin desired children," he continued ambiguously, "I needed an heir. So, I brought her my firstborn son, deliberately failing to understand that this was not the way in which she hoped to have a child. And she never forgave me."

"Oh," murmured Kagome, wide eyed. All she could remember of the little girl was a brightly checkered kimono and a smile formed from liquid sunshine, topped off by a lopsided, fluffy pigtail. But eventually, she supposed, all humans aged. Perhaps it was not so surprising that their relationship had changed when the girl reached maturity. Still though, it seemed slightly odd to her. Sesshoumaru was… Sesshoumaru. She had always assumed that Rin viewed him like a father-figure. "I see," she said, even though she really didn't.

Feeling faintly relieved to actually explain this to someone who would listen and _understand_ what he was talking about, the taiyoukai decided to explain the rest of the story. While his actions were not commendable, at least this woman would know why he had taken the steps that he did. "Satoshi never knew his mother; I took him from her when he was weaned," the taiyoukai stated, "Rin was supposed to care for him, but she did not want him either, because he was a living symbol that even though… I loved her…"

"You still didn't want any hanyou children," the priestess frowned.

"A pure-blooded heir was needed to secure the West," replied Sesshoumaru a tad bit defensively, for someone who had already whipped this subject to death over and over inside of his own mind. "Demons age much more slowly than humans – Satoshi was still a toddler when Rin was old and her hair was turning gray. Eventually, she forgave the boy for what was obviously not his fault in the first place. The rest is as the kitsune told you. I was called away and detained by a battle, and when I returned, she was gone."

Biting her lip, Kagome struggled not to reveal her pity. It would not be received kindly. But the rest of the story was so painfully obvious that it hurt. Sesshoumaru, the perfect assassin, ever-in-control, had actually fallen in love with a human. And he had never told her so. Perhaps he had not realized it until she was gone. Times had changed, and the lands he had fought so hard to protect and secure had fallen apart, making all his arguments about a full-blooded heir irrelevant. In the end, only regret remained.

She lowered her eyes and used her napkin to mop up some of the water on the table, just to keep her hands active. "I see," she said again, and this time she really did, but simple understanding didn't make the past right.


	27. Chapter 27

Author's Note: Small refresher summary of chapters 1-26: Inuyasha and Kagome return to the future at the end of their feudal fairytale. Inuyasha wishes to become human, but over the course of time, it becomes clear that this doesn't make him fit into to big-city life. Kagome leaves for college, Inuyasha leaves the shrine, and their relationship seems doomed to drift apart. Then, Shippo returns to Kagome's life – he sees Inuyasha working at a countryside inn beside a hot spring, and he realizes that it is now Kagome's time-period!

Kagome meets Satoshi, Sesshoumaru's son, which sparks her curosity. It is not for another few months that she can meet the modern version of the Aristocratic Assassin himself. However, she hears all about Sesshoumaru from his son and from Shippo, who ended up traveling with the taiyoukai for many centuries, after rescuing Satoshi as a baby from a band of roving demons.

Sesshoumaru misconstrues one of his son's statements and believes that Satoshi has a crush on Kagome… which really, really rubs him the wrong way. Determined to force a troublesome miko named Kagome away from his son, he agrees to be a part of Shippo's scheme to re-unite Kagome and Inuyasha. But he soon learns his mistake, and after spending several months with her, they have grown to be friends. He feels he can tell her things that he can't tell anyone else, since she remembers his past and knows the truth about his heritage.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 27**

"But, but Kagome!"

The kitsune was whining on the couch, as though he was a small kit again. Why was Shippo fussing, one might ask? Because Kagome had just revealed an interesting barrier to the fox-demon's plan.

Shippo had decided to assist his adoptive mother and Inuyasha. The kitsune held happy memories of the two traveling together, and he was eager to see them in a harmonious relationship once more. So, in an effort to facilitate this reunion, he had asked Sesshoumaru to deal with Kagome, while he dealt with Inuyasha. (The hanyou would probably not talk to his elder half-brother.) The initial plan had been for each youkai to determine the root of the problems that drove a wedge between Kagome and Inuyasha and report back on how to solve these problems in a beneficial way. But then, Sesshoumaru had gone and _ruined_ everything by spoiling the surprise – he had _told_ Kagome about Shippo's matchmaking efforts, and now she did not want to participate!

"The way I look at it," the priestess continued firmly, "He was the one who left the shrine and refused to wait for me. I refuse to chase after him like a love-sick schoolgirl, anymore. If he wants to come back to me, then he knows where I live."

The dark-haired priestess glared at the dispirited kitsune, emphasizing her point. Then, as if for confirmation, she looked toward Sesshoumaru. Shippo followed her gaze.

Reclining carelessly on his softest leather sofa, the taiyoukai nodded absently and tried to display an air of complete disinterest in the proceedings. How did he get drawn into these things, anyway? The only reason he had agreed to play along with the fox-demon's ridiculous game was to rescue his son from the evil-clutches of this priestess. But then, he had discovered Satoshi was not in need of rescuing; there had simply been a case of mistaken identity. Because he had already given his word to aid the kitsune, he was honor bound to do so, yet he saw nothing wrong with bending the rules a little bit, informing the miko of the kitsune's plans ahead of time.

"This is all your fault," muttered the fox-demon in his direction, sounding petulant like a child.

"The priestess is correct," Sesshoumaru added blandly, "If my surly half-brother wants to see her again, let him return of his own accord."

"See!" squealed the kitsune, leaping to his feet and pointing one claw in the taiyoukai's direction. "You're doing it again! You were supposed to _help _get them together, not bad-mouth your brother every few minutes."

By now, the priestess was nearly fuming. Apparently, she did not like to be talked over or disregarded, even for a moment. Sesshoumaru filed this information away for future reference.

"Shippo!" Kagome exclaimed, "Sesshoumaru didn't do anything wrong. Inuyasha and I had problems for a long time, and when he left the shrine, it was the last straw. So far, I've tried to visit him twice, but he won't allow you to tell me where he is, and the one time you planned a meeting on neutral ground, he _failed to show up_."

"Yes, erm… Well…" the kitsune rubbed the back of his neck, sitting down again. "I'm not defending his past choices, I'm just saying that he seems ready to meet you, this time."

"Okay," the priestess relented, "I'll think about it."

With a sigh, the taiyoukai realized that they had returned to normal. If his house was going to be the site of any future altercations between the kitsune and the miko, then he would have to remember to bring ear-plugs. Of course, ear-plugs would only block out the _sound_ of her agitation, it would not erase the scent of her distress. Maybe he should simply insist they argue elsewhere. But for some reason, even if she moved out of range, he knew the idea of her being upset would still displease him.

Honestly, the more he heard about his half-brother's treatment of her, the more he wondered why she had ever been interested in the lout in the first place. Sesshoumaru knew from experience that his sibling's behavior in the feudal era had been boorish and crude. And apparently, this had not ceased upon their return to the future. It sounded like the boy had made no effort to fit in to this time-period, and he had laid all his responsibilities at Kagome's feet. Hn. Such disgraceful behavior from a member of his clan. But what else could one expect?

Clamping down on his strange feeling of relief, and the even stranger feeling of pride, that he had formed when the miko refused to visit his half-brother, Sesshoumaru leaned into the cushions of the couch and offered the ceiling a rare smile.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: If I claimed to own the characters in the series Inuyasha, I would be lying.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter #28**

"It's your turn."

Kagome spoke in a chipper voice, as she bounced in place on his sofa cushions. Holding her cards in front of her face like a fan, she peered at him over their tops. Sesshoumaru placidly turned over his last card and laid down the rest of his hand.

Kagome stared in disbelief. This was the seventh time he had beaten her today! She had known better than to play a strategy game with someone like the ex-Lord of the Western Lands, but really, she had thought games of chance would be acceptable. But no, he had flummoxed her at Hanafuda and now even defeated her at Western card games, like Gin Rummy. No fair!

"You're cheating!" she announced, smacking her cards on the table.

"Not at all," replied the taiyoukai charmingly. "You are simply unskilled."

"Ooh!" squealed the miko, "Cheating! With your superior dog-demon skills!"

Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair and cocked his head to one side. This one would be rich. He had to know. "Such as?"

"You have scent-marked all the cards and you are using your sniffer to catch me, when I make mistakes," she proclaimed. Crossing her arms over her chest, she dared him to deny it.

He did. Although secretly he thought it was a good idea, and he wondered why he had never tried that before… Probably because the only people he relaxed with enough to play games were other youkai. Satoshi and Shippo would know if he cheated instantly, because their senses were just as elite. He offered this as evidence of the fact that he did not try and defraud her.

"X-Ray vision," she insisted stubbornly.

The white-haired demon scoffed. It was almost a snicker, but he refused to give her the satisfaction of seeming him laugh over something so stupid. Still, it was minorly amusing.

All in all, they had had a very fun day together. Spending time with the miko meant easy conversation and endless diversion, all bundled up in one pleasant package with an appealing scent. Humans were cleaner now than in the distant past, yet she still smelled absolutely superb compared to her fellows.

Best of all though, she was relaxing. Around her, he unconsciously softened and his worries eased. He wondered if this was something his Father had liked about Izayoi as well. The pressures of ruling could fall away when he was with her, whereas when he was home with his wife, Sesshoumaru's mother, he had to be the leader of the dogs, lord of the lands.

After spending a twelve hour day at various different offices, only to come home to paperwork, he understood exactly how much busier this time period was than his original one, years ago. Strange, how with more conveniences and machines, there was actually less time to get things done each day. Thus, he greatly appreciated the time he could spend with the little priestess, since she made him forget about being a responsible person – at least for a few hours a week.

There was only one, inescapable conclusion to draw. He liked her.

In fact, he liked everything about her. Even the annoying parts of her, like the way she talked too much, or tried to act overly cheery when she met with him even if she was having a bad day. Oh! And the way she refused to respect his privacy – she tended to ask questions on every single issue that she could think of, and it did not matter whether normal people would not discuss such private matters. No, to the miko, everything was fair game. Yet somehow, he did not mind any of these things, because everything _else_ that she was became far more important, over time.

"If it would make you feel better," he vowed solemnly, "I will try to lose."

"Augh!" she complained, "I want to win fair and square!" Then, a calculating glint formed in her eyes. She pulled out the Western-style card deck one more time, then mixed it with his Japanese flower cards.

"I refuse to play 100-card 'Pick-Up' games."

She shook her head. "Nope. We're going to play the 'Kagome' game. I write the rules, as we play."

"Hn," he grunted, feeling amusement welling inside his chest yet again. "That sounds like cheating." And oh, how he would enjoy beating her at her own game, literally. A predatory smirk crept over his face.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: The characters originally were created by Rumiko Takahashi. It's a good thing too, because I can't draw.

**A Distant Promise - Mini-Chapter # 29**

"My favorite color?"

Kagome stared at the dog-demon in confusion. What would have prompted him to ask this question, so suddenly? It was not too personal a question – she felt comfortable around him these days, unlike in the distant past. Still, the taiyoukai rarely asked about frivolous items or interests.

"Blue, I suppose," she answered slowly. "Why?"

"No reason," he replied evasively. Strangely enough, she could tell that something fishy was going on. It wasn't that Sesshoumaru was easy to read. On the contrary – the studied blankness on his face seemed _too_ perfect. She wondered if a chuckle or a frown was hiding behind his impassive gaze.

Suspiciously, she studied his profile, as Sesshoumaru stared determinedly straight ahead. "You just suddenly want to know my favorite color?" she raised one brow, eerily reminiscent of one of the taiyoukai's own gestures. "Nope. Not buying it."

"Hn."

"Fine," grumbled Kagome, crossing her arms. "Be that way. But in that case, it's only fair I ask too… What's your favorite color?"

This time, the smile almost escaped. She could see it shimmer in his eyes, even if it didn't reach his lips. "Isn't it obvious?" he said, apparently pleased with himself. Then, he leaned toward her slightly, as though he was about to impart a great secret. "… White."

"Would that be white like snow, white like ocean foam…" she pondered, mockingly serious, "Or white like doggy-fur?"

Knowing when to change the subject, instead of allowing himself to be drawn in by such a ridiculous query, Sesshoumaru ignored her. "One week from today there is a conference I must attend, in Kyoto," he continued quietly, "I was wondering if you might choose to attend."

The subject switch was so sudden that Kagome felt bewildered. What did that have to do with her favorite color? Wait, Sesshoumaru had just asked her to go… to go with him to a… what exactly?

Her mouth opened, then closed, uselessly. Just when she needed it most, her brain seemed to be malfunctioning. Why couldn't she think of anything to say? A thousand questions had sprouted up in her mind, the moment he spoke, but she was unable to voice them.

"Like a…" mumbled Kagome. Date. Like a date? No, not a date. She wanted to say it, but the mere idea was too silly for words. So instead, she finished by asking, "Like a… business associate?"

His brow creased a little, at this, but he did not contradict her statement. Focusing his attention on her fully, the taiyoukai coiled his youki tightly around himself and melted into his human disguise. "Meetings can be boring and tedious," explained Sesshoumaru, "And yet become slightly more bearable if someone else attends."

Heart-rate slowly returning to normal, Kagome breathed deeply and tried to relax. What was wrong with her? He asked a simple question, and she instantly behaved like a stammering schoolgirl. She was in college now. And besides, this was Sesshoumaru. And when someone like … well, like Sesshoumaru… asked someone like _her _a simple question, he expected a simple answer.

He merely wanted to know what she was doing next weekend. Because without her, he would have to go alone, and that would be boring and tedious. And she would be bored and lonely too, having nothing to do with her weekend. And why should they both be bored and miserable, alone, when they could be bored and miserable together at a business meeting? Yes, that was very sound logic.

It was nothing like a date – it was a partnership of sorts. Just like their lunches and dinners and card-games and other friendly associations over the past few months were not really dates, they were just… spending time together. Keeping loneliness at bay by associating with another person who understood their shared past.

Yet somehow that didn't keep the blush from her face when she answered. "Sure," she announced, far more certain than she felt. "Why not? I'm still curious about what you do for a living."

Even through his human disguise, his eyes flashed gold for a moment, and he shook his head. "I do many things," he answered, his earlier mischievous demeanor returning bit by bit, "And yet very little. Owning companies is not as difficult as building them."

They worked out the details, and it was not until she entered her dorm room and started digging through her books that she realized he had never answered her original question. What did her favorite color have to do with anything?


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: The characters are trademarked and the plotline of the series Inuyasha is copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi.

Author's Note: I stole a line (sort of) from in a reviewer – thank you, SeruleanOrbs! Your guess was completely right!

**A Distant Promise - Mini-Chapter # 30**

A blue dress.

The most gorgeous and yet simple, lovely and elegant, and of course, _blue _dress. Part of Kagome's mind wanted to squeal with delight over this thoughtful gesture. Sesshoumaru had asked her to a business conference and he obviously knew she didn't have the right kind of clothing to attend, nor could she afford to buy it, so he solved the problem without emphasizing this embarrassing fact. But the other half of Kagome's mind was unsettled by the gift. Surely, this was more than she deserved.

After all, it looked rather… expensive. It was modest, too, covering her shoulders and chest fully. Plus, the dress was surprisingly well-fitted, not too tight, not too loose. It made her wonder how the taiyoukai had known her tastes without asking.

Perhaps he had asked Shippo. The fox-demon knew what sort of clothing she liked, because she had told him in the past, and besides, it was far simpler to envision her kitsune friend doing effeminate things like estimating tag-sizes or shopping, than it was to imagine someone like Sesshoumaru doing those same tasks. Yes, Shippo had probably assisted in this endeavor. It was the only idea that made sense.

Sitting on Kagome's bed, her roommate dug through the package that had just arrived. "Oh my gosh," her roommate gasped excitedly, "Is that a diamond?"

She looked down to see a jewelry box resting on her roommate's palm. For all intents and purposes, her roommate Mariko was enjoying the impromptu present more than Kagome was. The maddening girl had been needling her for thirty minutes now to try on the dress, tell her where the party was, explain about the guy who gave the dress, admit that they were getting married… and so on, and so on, until the priestess just wanted to snatch a lock of her roommate's hair and pull as hard as she could. Instead, Kagome snatched the jewelry box with a glare.

"Of course not," she replied, looking down at the silvery chain and pendant in the box. "It's blue."

"Diamonds can be blue," encouraged Mariko, clearly focused on the specific outcome that she wanted to achieve.

Not giving in, Kagome added, "Glass can be blue too."

The optimism of her perky roommate refused to surrender either. "Or sapphires!"

"Topaz," Kagome countered, picking yet another gemstone, cheaper than her roommate's personal desires.

Thankfully, the gemstone name-picking war ended soon. Unfortunately, the other girl turned her sights to even more sinister plans then. Eyeing her roommate greedily, Mariko decided that Kagome should try on the dress and model it. Practice made perfect, or so people said. Thus, it was important to habituate oneself to any new article of clothing before appearing in public wearing those garments.

The priestess only rolled her eyes. Maybe she would try the dress before the weekend came. But she certainly wasn't going to let her nosy roommate spoil a perfectly good occasion with prying questions or demands.

"It can wait," she decided. Bundling up the dress and the pendant and returning them to the original package, she stuffed the entire set into the bottom of her traveling trunk, firmly locking them inside. Not that she thought Mariko was a thief, or something – it was simply easier to avoid thinking uncomfortable, unanswerable thoughts when the present was out of sight.

But with Mariko shadowing her every time she made a move toward the trunk beneath her bed, after a day or two, she knew she would have to take drastic measures to escape with the dress and her dignity intact.

So, she called Shippo. From the dormitory mother's phone, downstairs, to make sure that she would not be overheard. At two hours to midnight, just to make sure no one else was in the commons area. No, Kagome was not paranoid about her roommate, at all.

Finally, on the fourth ring, he picked up. A tired sounding voice answered, but cheered up immediately when she announced her name. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Kagome?" chirped her fox-demon friend. "Did you want to meet with Inuyasha, after all?"

Twisting the phone cord around her forefinger, Kagome stared at the wall. Honestly, she had almost forgotten about Shippo's offer, until he mentioned it. But no, that was not why she had called. Now, she was going to look like a complete jerk, asking for Shippo's help for something stupid like _this_, after forgetting all about Inuyasha. Darn it!

"Eh…" the priestess mumbled, "Actually, I was wondering if you could come over tomorrow and distract my roommate long enough that I could pack my things and get away from her for the weekend without her asking any more awkward questions?"

As the words poured out, she realized she had trapped her entire hand in the phone cord at this point, through sheer nervousness and twiddling fingers. A moment of silence met her request, and she imagined the fox-demon gazing blankly at the phone in his hand.

"Awkward questions?" the kitsune echoed, confused. "I assume I should not ask what is happening, either?"

This brought Kagome to a full stop. She disentangled her hand from the phone cord, and shifted arms, cradling the receiver under her other ear. "No, that's okay," she amended, "You already know."

"Know what?" continued the kitsune, growing steadily more and more puzzled.

"About the dress…" began the priestess tentatively. When this met with no more reaction than her earlier comments, Kagome pressed further. "… for the conference, with Sesshoumaru…"

She heard a sudden shriek through the receiver, then a muffled thunk, as though Shippo had dropped his phone. Hastily rewriting her assumptions in her mind, she understood that the fox-demon had not helped in purchasing her gift, after all. Crap! What was wrong with her? If Sesshoumaru had not told anyone else about his invitation, then there was probably a reason. Yet somehow she had convinced herself that Shippo had played a role in this, because she had not wanted to believe… to believe…

…that the taiyoukai could actually do something nice for her, all on his own.

It wasn't that hard to believe.

Really, what was _wrong_ with her?

Dimly, she realized Shippo was speaking to her again. Before she could take back her original request, he hung up the phone, promising to meet with her on the morrow.

_Gah! _ Kagome moaned internally, _I'm such an idiot!_


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: The characters are trademarked, and the plotline of the series Inuyasha is copyrighted, by Rumiko Takahashi.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 31**

"You sly dog!"

The kitsune was grinning, and that never did bode well. Sesshoumaru laid down the files he was sorting through and stared. It was hard to figure out what the fox-demon was feeling. On his face, there was an entirely convincing smile, but his scent betrayed a tinge of anger and frustration, as well. What on earth was Shippo talking about?

"You should have told me that you were interested in Kagome."

The files in his hand suddenly became far more interesting. He silently continued packing his briefcase. Evidently his expression must have given him away, however, since the kitsune pressed for details.

"When were you planning to inform me?" the fox-demon complained.

"Clearly, you have misunderstood the situation," Sesshoumaru denied everything. Yes, this was exactly the kind of reaction that he had been trying to avoid by leaving the kitsune out of the loop, regarding Kagome. The dog-demon was a very private person, and the fox-demon was a very prying one. "She is merely accompanying me for a weekend excursion."

"A weekend excursion," muttered the fox, "To which you were told to bring a _lady_ friend…"

Snapping his briefcase shut, the dog-demon rose stiffly. "That is neither here nor there."

The frustration and anger in the kitsune's scent spiked, and Sesshoumaru could tell the younger youkai was trying to contain himself, but for the life of him, he could not figure out why this news would upset Shippo so much. True, the fox-demon had been trying to reunite Kagome and Inuyasha, but such plans were not exclusive to his spending time with the miko too. Sesshoumaru had been spending time with her on a regular basis for months now. It had never bothered the kitsune before.

"Yes," the fox-demon insisted stubbornly, "It matters. Because everything to do with Kagome matters. You know what she is like, and what she has seen…"

This was the last straw, naturally. No one took a short, snippy tone with Sesshoumaru, least of all a fox-kit that he had practically raised from childhood. "You shall neither level threats, nor ultimatums, nor warnings," he growled, "To this Sesshoumaru. She will not be harmed by a weekend away from her studies."

But the fox-demon's reply surprised him, and the quiet intensity in the fox's tone made Sesshoumaru pay attention once more. "Who says I was only concerned about _her_?" asked Shippo abruptly. "It worries me, that's all. For years, you have been alone, and then, suddenly you are spending more time with her than with your own son…

"Is this about Inuyasha?" the fox continued, "Because she knows your past?"

With a soft snort, he dismissed the kitsune's concerns. Still, it made him feel slightly better, to think this unexpected attack on his privacy had been made with _his_ best interests at heart, not just _hers_. How odd.

On the other hand, the idea that Kagome could be capable of hurting him, was… well… in a word, it was ridiculous. The girl was charity personified. And it was not a crime to enjoy spending time with someone – even if that person did happen to be a remnant of one's haunted past. In fact, that made the relationship better. Despite knowing exactly how cold, standoffish and cruel he was capable of being, she had still reached out to be his friend. Thus, her familiarity meant more.

What exactly was the kitsune trying to say?

Gazing at his troublesome companion, Sesshoumaru let the silence spread between them, encouraging the fox-demon to explain. But Shippo merely shifted uncomfortably in front of his desk, all too ready to leave the office.

"Look," he asked, finally, "If Kagome were to die tomorrow, what would you do?"

Confused and displeased by the idea, the dog-demon thought of Tenseiga. Was this some kind of a trick question? He failed to see the point.

"I would resurrect her," he answered with a frown.

Yet the response seemed to satisfy Shippo, at last. A muscle twitched in the fox-demon's face, and then he broke out in laughter. Sesshoumaru growled, and picked up his briefcase, turning toward the door. He did not have to stay here, and listen to this nonsense.

As usual, though, he somehow forgot to fire the kitsune for his impudence. Perhaps he really did like the little fox, after all.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: The characters are trademarked, and the plotline of the series Inuyasha is copyrighted, by Rumiko Takahashi.

Author's Note: I can still write, it just takes a lot longer now, because my short-term memory got damaged. So I have to read the entire story over again, each time I want to write a new chapter… But I have so many supportive reviewers! You all say nice things like "The fanfiction is still good!" Thank you very much, indeed.

So, this chapter is dedicated to all the reviewers of Chapter 31! You were one of them, weren't you? Yes, you were. Of course, you were!

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 32**

"You owe me!"

Over the phone, Shippo's voice sounded more frustrated than he truly was. Actually, the entire proceedings had been rather amusing. "And your roommate, Mariko, she is completely nuts. How do you deal with her, every day?"

"I don't," replied Kagome, sagely declining to answer the question. "But thank you for helping me! We are almost to Kyoto. How did the scavenger hunt go?"

"Hn," scoffed the fox-demon gruffly. "Mariko actually found someone at the end of it, oh wonder of wonders."

The laughter that had been forming inside her chest, ever since Shippo telephoned, burst free. Giggling wildly, Kagome held the mobile-phone away from her ear for a moment, while she calmed. "Wait!" she asked breathlessly, "Wait, I thought the scavenger hunt was fake?"

"Yes, it was." With a sigh, the kitsune finished sadly, "But my ingenuity pales in the face of human hope. Mariko kissed the one that she believed to be her suitor. He did not protest."

After Shippo disconnected the call, Kagome spent several more minutes snickering uncontrollably in the passenger seat, although she tried to keep herself (reasonably) quiet out of respect for her companion's sensitive ears. Looking in Sesshoumaru's direction did not help matters, either. He appeared intrigued and vaguely amused. Which was exactly how _she _felt. Oh, damn! Now, she would have to explain, and he would probably laugh at her too, for roping Shippo into such a ridiculous endeavor.

"I told him to distract Mariko, while I escaped for the weekend. My roommate wanted to see me in the blue dress, very much! I thought she would make me model for her!" gasped Kagome, with mock-horror. "So, Shippo told Mariko that her secret-admirer had sent her a message… and the message sent her to another place… and another…"

Another snort escaped her lips, without permission. Slowly, Kagome felt her ears redden, from the effort required to clamp down on her laughter. The snickers were building into outright giggles again.

Naturally, Sesshoumaru did not look impressed. But then, he never did. Surprising this white-haired dog-demon took far more effort than it was worth.

"And at the end of her search, she found what she wanted to find," he finished the story on her behalf. Arching one brow, he glanced in her direction, away from the road. "Your laughter implies this is unexpected."

"Well… of course!"

"Nonsense," he intoned calmly. "Humans are talented at seeing only what they wish to see."

"Hey!" grinned Kagome, unable to loose the laughter inside her heart. "I resent that. Youkai do the same."

A few hours later, after they deposited their bags into the rooms, he watched her investigate the suite. Her face melted into a brilliant smile, each time she discovered a new feature in the hotel. Even the connecting doors between their rooms seemed to captivate her attention.

And for some reason, this pleased him. Certainly, she was merely impressed by the sitting room, because she had never been to a hotel room that had one… but… for some reason, it felt like a personal compliment. It was an easily misinterpreted gesture, as the fox-kit said, taking a girl on a trip like this. But not for Kagome; no, she seemed not to have an avaricious bone in her body, so she took things at face-value.

He had expected to see her surprise, and her happiness, so he did. He had never expected her to misconstrue this gift, and she didn't. Maybe she was correct, and even youkai interpreted the world in a self-interested fashion.


	33. Chapter 33

Author's Note: Ho ho ho! I have published two chapters, close together. If you haven't read chapter 32, do that first?

Since the Inuyasha series (manga) began in 1996, I count that as the 'beginning' date for the series. And since the series supposedly only takes place within ONE YEAR, I count the beginning of _this fanfiction _as the end of 1997, beginning of 1998. (Really, Rumiko, I'm still having trouble with the "Let's pretend Kagome was still in _middle school _throughout ALL of the shard-hunt-festival"… That seems impossible, but hey!) Hence, by this chapter – the "year" should be about 2001-2002. And at that time, Japanese electronics companies were actually suffering. I'm not just (completely) making it up?

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 33**

Dresses bite back.

Apparently – just like any other animal – when cornered and unwilling to be touched, even blue fabric felt willing to unleash a fighting frenzy at the slightest provocation. Or, at least, this was what Sesshoumaru thought. It seemed the only way to explain his current predicament. The idea that he had just been traumatized by _an article of clothing_ was impossible, of course. Clearly, this had to be the fault of the dress.

That morning, he had allowed his companion to sleep-in, while he attended a day-long meeting. In truth, he had never intended to torture her with the boring, technical side of this conference. For Kagome, he left a note in the sitting room, suggesting fun activities to do in the hotel for several hours. Also, he indicated that she should get any shopping out of the way, before Sunday. The hotel was close to Kawaramachi, Kyoto's central shopping district, but he did not feel the need to frequent such places.

Seven hours later, activities drew to a halt, and Sesshoumaru found himself in their suite once more, with more than enough time to prepare for supper. And the moment that he walked through the door, treacherous fabric had attacked him. Not physically, only mentally.

Kagome stood in the doorway, fastening her earrings, and practically quivering with both irritation and excitement. The dress fit her very well. Too well, in fact, reminding him that her figure had changed a great deal since the feudal era, when he first saw her. Hm…

"You liar," she chastised him soundly. "You told me that the trip would be 'boring and tedious.' Yet the only one who went to a boring meeting was _you_. But me? I went swimming and visited the spa. Then, I walked to To-ji."

"Good," answered the dog-demon complacently. That was good, wasn't it? What was she talking about, again? Blue was a distracting color.

She pattered after him, into his room, when he exited the sitting room to lay down his briefcase. Now that she had rebuked him (if only slightly) for abandoning her for hours, her irritation was fading away. Sesshoumaru studiously ignored her, resolving that he could easily speak without glancing at her directly.

"So, where are people meeting for dinner, tonight?" she asked curiously. "I know you said the 'hotel restaurant'… but seriously, there are _six_ of them!"

"Since there are foreigners in the group, they loudly requested traditional Japanese food."

This earned a laugh. "Loudly, eh?" she grinned. "Isn't everyone too loud, to your ears, though?"

As if she could ascertain his internal debate, by looking at the back of his head, Kagome ended the battle by deciding matters for him. She wandered around him, to sit at the bedside table, in plain view. And because it really _would_ seem strange to converse with her, from the bathroom, he stood his ground. For goodness' sake, he had bought the damn dress, hadn't he?

It was supposed to be more… modest. All right, actually, it _was_ conservative. Perhaps his mind was simply suffering some sort of depraved, attention-deficit syndrome. He was not supposed to think that she was _pretty_, to the point that it kept him from focusing on anything else. Even if she _was_ pretty. Which she was.

She had asked him another question, while he was daydreaming. Staring at her, Sesshoumaru tried to guess what she might want to know. It did no good, of course. This particular woman was an endlessly inquisitive creature, and she tended to pick (what seemed like) random subjects. "Hmm?" he asked, blankly.

"The other guests," she repeated carefully, "Am I supposed to know anything about… anything?"

Shaking his head in a curt gesture, he sat beside her at the table. "Everything you need to know about the business interests of conference guests, I explained to you last night, while we drove," he explained. "The Japanese electronics industry has suffered a great deal, lately. So, we are exploring other options. However, our competitors would prefer it, if companies like Panasonic, Sony, and Matsushita simply surrendered the market."

"Computer chips and DVD players are cheaper, now," summarized the dark-haired girl, "So big Japanese companies need to invent some other way to scalp consumers."

Somehow, the synopsis of what he had said sounded different when she repeated it back to him. Sesshoumaru repressed a smile. "No, no, priestess," he responded smugly. "Small Japanese companies intend to do this, as well."

With a tiny grin, she replied, cheekily. "I see, demon. But putting these _companies_ aside, what do _we _intend to do tomorrow?"

Gradually, as she discussed their plans, the nervousness bled away from him. While he still found it difficult to focus, around her, he could distract himself from the distraction that was… Kagome. Sesshoumaru counted this as a triumph.


	34. Chapter 34

Author's Note: The visitor's page says that three people from Qatar read this story. Qatar! I did not know _where that was_, until today! It humbles me. Thank you for reading.

If anyone cares, I have lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma – Cleveland, Ohio – Durham, North Carolina – New York, New York – Puebla, Mexico – and in Utrecht, Netherlands. I only count a city on my list, if I have been there for many months or years. Vacationing doesn't do it. But studying abroad, that counts.

Someone from Qatar should tell me about it, please? : ) Are you three people still reading?

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 34**

White and gold.

It was happening again – she was getting a crush on a dog-demon with white hair and golden eyes. One might think fate had it in for her. And how would she tell her grandfather that her latest obsession had a son at least _300 years older than she was_, who looked to be nearly the same age? Ah, life's little difficulties.

To be fair, all of this was not Kagome's fault. The taiyoukai represented more than just a memory of exciting times, in the past. He had changed over the years – not too much, but enough that she noticed. Perhaps she perceived the differences even more strongly than others.

For the same reason that she had been shocked to watch Satoshi doing simple acts like laughing or frowning, Kagome caught herself watching for these signs in her current companion, as well. Obviously, now that she was paying attention to such details, she realized Sesshoumaru was 'human'… relatively speaking… in all the important ways. He had emotions, even if he did not display them prominently. Ironically, this made her wonder if his personality had always been in place, like this, and she had simply not been attentive enough to him before.

Furthermore, it was practically cliché, what he represented for the rest of society, at this point. When other people looked at him, they saw someone fashionably dressed, rich, highly intelligent, determined and hard-working. An over-achiever and a business leader. Although Kagome did not view Sesshoumaru differently because of who he was today, she comprehended how others must view him. It was almost funny. In her mind, he had always been a bit of a Lone Wolf, not a vision of society's Golden Boy. But times changed, and he transformed with the era.

In fact, he was far more well-adjusted than she had ever been, in the feudal era. She had resolutely worn her sailor fuku, lugged around a bright, yellow pack, and bathed almost nightly, with modern soaps and supplies. Her attitude toward the past was practically disrespectful. Clinging to modern conveniences like that… it implied the past was best left behind.

After a while, Sesshoumaru reached over and pushed a tiny piece of hair off her cheek. Abruptly, Kagome realized that she had been staring at him for several minutes, drawing his gaze. With a blush, she turned to face their table companions, once more. Honestly! He was a person, not a spectator sport!

At their table, the two men sitting across from her did not notice anything wrong. They were chatting with each other, in Mandarin Chinese, and it seemed like Sesshoumaru could understand them perfectly well – but at the moment, he was not sharing information. Hmph.

The dinner was fantastic – fresh sushi, sashimi, tempura, rice balls, an entire array of meat, curry, noodle dishes, and anything else she might wish to order… But the beginning of the party had been better than the meal! At first, everyone had mingled and moved about the private gathering. It was only when they took seats that these other (rude) guests had descended upon the table. Really, if they were in Japan, then shouldn't they speak Japanese? For her benefit?

Luckily, her companion made an effort to distract her, periodically. It was not until this very moment, actually, in which she fell silent. Recognizing her growing attachment to Sesshoumaru, that was stressful.

She wasn't supposed to like him.

He was Inuyasha's brother, and she liked Inuyasha. And Shippo had put forth such effort to ensure that she would meet with her old love-interest, again! Yet rather than show gratitude, she had disregarded the idea, stating that Inuyasha should visit _her_, instead of the other way around… The entire relationship had fallen apart, and that was all Inuyasha's fault, wasn't it?

With a sigh, she poked at her food.

Maybe everything was not Inuyasha's fault, not totally. After all, she had not come home to visit him, _even once_, that first semester at the university. On the other hand, she found ample time to visit Sesshoumaru.

Interrupting her thoughts, since she had been quiet for more than five minutes (which was a sign of impending doom and disaster, where Kagome was concerned), Sesshoumaru asked, "Would you like to switch to a different table?"

Wide-eyed, Kagome looked up at him. "What? N-no, this is fine."

He did not seem convinced, but accepted her answer. "When you finish eating, I believe, there are several games and activities in the back room."

A small smirk crept onto her face, at last. "Which you are dying to play…"

"No," corrected the taiyoukai somberly, "I was planning to watch you make a fool of yourself, without my help."

Prodding him firmly in the chest with one finger, she announced that she would not participate in any activities planned by evil electronic corporations, without a company representative there to assist her. This outburst was enough to draw the other two men out of their discussion, and back into her conversation. After all, if she was going to brood silently, then their companions would not necessarily make an effort to get to know her. But when she did lively, audacious things like jabbing a corporate executive in the shirt with her pointer finger, then without a doubt, everyone else at the table wanted to be a part of the dialogue.

Kagome tried her very hardest to allow the other people at the party to divert her from her thoughts.

However, white and gold loomed in the back of her mind. Even when she could not see the true color of his hair and his eyes, due to a concealment spell, it still managed to distract her.


	35. Chapter 35

Author's Note: It's hard to write the mindset of a 'drunk' person. Being drunk doesn't assist this process, either.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 35**

"No, I'm not."

"Yes," the dog-demon replied firmly, "You are."

"No, I'm not!" Kagome protested, again, for what seemed like the hundredth time. Although it was probably not the hundredth time. It didn't seem very likely that Sesshoumaru would argue with her that long. Especially over something so trivial and stupid.

Truly, though, she was not drunk! She wasn't drunk, because an intoxicated person behaved like a fool. And she was not foolish. She did not even weave back and forth, as she walked! Drunk people had trouble standing up straight. But no, not Kagome.

She was fine, absolutely fine. In fact, she felt warm and fuzzy and happy inside. She was better than fine!

The elevator doors opened, and her escort wrapped his arms around her, partially lifting her off the floor. Giggling madly, Kagome threw her arms around him and envisioned a roller-coaster ride. "Uwah!" she squealed, "That was fun! Why did you pick me up?"

"Because you are unable to stand, miko." Censure dripped from his tone, but she failed to hear it.

"I'm not drunk," she pouted, "I'm happy."

A tiny snort emanated from the taiyoukai standing beside her. Instead of commenting though, he supported her down the hallway, opening the door to their suite. Kagome marveled at the soft, brown carpeting and the marble trim along the edges of the wall, gripping her partner more tightly than necessary.

Gently depositing her on a chair in her room, Sesshoumaru stepped back, obviously trying to determine whether she could get ready for bed, alone. Kagome laughed again, when she observed the vaguely worried expression on his face. He looked awfully _cute_ with 'concern' written across his forehead.

"You're right. I am drunk," the priestess finally decided, after patting her shoulder absently without finding the zipper to her dress. "I can't even remember how to get this dress off. How did I put it on?"

With a sigh, the dog-demon rubbed his right cheek distractedly. "Perhaps, if you had not allowed certain young gentlemen to bring you so many free drinks…"

"Ah!" purred Kagome, "But they were being friendly! You told me to make friends!"

"No, miko. I…" the taiyoukai began, but unfortunately, he was never allowed to finish his sentence.

"S'Kagome. My name, you know," she gurgled, happily. Then, holding her arms in the air, the girl in the chair abruptly added, "Will you undress me? The zipper, not the rest of the clothing. Unless, of course, you really want to take that too. Haha!"

Now, her companion actually seemed uncomfortable. Leaning forward carefully, he helped her out of the chair and then unhooked the back of the dress, slowly guiding the zipper toward the middle of her spine. A surreptitious blush crept across his cheeks, despite the human glamour, and as Kagome kicked off her shoes, she realized that he had never removed the concealment spell.

Well, that was unsatisfactory! She liked him better with cheek stripes, silvery-white hair, and golden eyes. They had recently had a conversation about this, too! Or… maybe she had thought of it, privately, inside her own head. Either way, the concealment spell had to depart. "You don't have to appear 'human' when you're alone with me," she informed him, brightly. "I like you better with stripes and crescent moons."

"Are you…" murmured the taiyoukai, "Thoroughly capable of preparing… yourself for bed?"

And for some reason, it was the funniest statement that she had ever heard. His speech was so stiff and formal, in a situation that didn't allow any privacy or dignity, at all. Well, none on her part, anyway. She chuckled.

Watching the dog-demon, as he kept an eye on her, while she wobbled precariously in place, Kagome felt marvelously transparent. Obviously, he needed a big hug. She could tell.

So, she gave him one.


	36. Chapter 36

Author's Note: The "short" chapter that wouldn't end. I stole a line from a reviewer too – **SeruleanOrbs**. Thanks!

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 36**

He wanted her.

As embarrassing as it might seem, it was all Sesshoumaru could contemplate. The miko was determined to torture him, with inappropriate comments and suggestions – statements which she probably didn't mean, in any case. After all, she drank too much, and alcohol made humans act sleepy, confused, or deranged. The drinks were talking to him, not Kagome. But that didn't keep him from _noticing_ it, when she made ridiculous offers, like… like… how he should help her remove all her clothing.

The desire surprised him. Physically, she was very attractive. He was willing to admit this to himself, even if he did not state it out loud. For instance, earlier in the evening, when he first saw the blue dress that she wore, it had traumatized him. A dress on a hanger was nothing until it was worn. But that did _not_ mean that he should behave like some hormonal teenager, chasing after a girl. Physical urges were normal. By now, he should be old enough to control them.

Besides, hadn't his association with Kagome started when he _disapproved _of her dating his son? His reaction had been unfavorable, when he believed that Satoshi was interested in the girl. Why should it be unacceptable for his son, yet perfectly fine for him? That was hypocritical.

Or perhaps, he was simply finding excuses to escape her presence until morning. Technically, she still needed assistance in getting to bed. Although… not that kind of assistance…

Damn it. Dignified behavior was not supposed to be this difficult. And thoughts were not supposed to be traitorous.

Unfortunately, while he stood at the foot of the bed, his companion managed to lurch closer to him. Arms slid around his waist and Kagome landed against his chest, with an oomph. Wisdom began to leak out of his ears, pooling on the floor and goading stupidity into the scenario. After a few minutes, he realized he had embraced her in return, and the miko was currently nuzzling his shirt.

All right, then. This situation required a firm hand and gentle guidance. Since he was sober, he would be the responsible one, here. Put her to bed, bring a glass of water to the bedside table, place a trash-can next to the mattress… what else?

"Crescent mooooon!" complained the priestess, forlornly, thumping his chest with one hand. "Your concealment spell is still covering your markings."

Blinking once, he stared at her, as though she had turned purple. "Yes," Sesshoumaru said slowly, "I will uncover my markings, if you will release my waist."

She complied, so he pulled off the covers on the queen-sized hotel bed, untucking the sheets, before leading her toward them, one palm on each shoulder. "Whoa," Kagome mused, "You move fast!"

Of course. A double entendre delivered by a drunken girl – that improved his mental health. "Get under the covers," the taiyoukai coaxed.

"But the dress will get all wrinkly."

"Then change into a bathrobe."

"I don't have one…"

"In the washroom!" Sesshoumaru ground out, through his teeth.

Unsteadily, she nodded and wandered toward the lavatory upon his suggestion, only to stop halfway there. Without turning around, Kagome asked him, sadly, "Did you think I looked okay, tonight?"

"Yes," he answered mildly, wishing he could comprehend what inspired this random melancholy in her.

"Because you never said…" she sniffed, leaning against the wall. "Nevermind."

The silence became oppressive, while she changed, and he discovered his feet were rooted to the floor. This was ridiculous. At first, he had been opposed to the priestess, when he thought Satoshi was entering into a relationship with her. Then, once he learned of his mistake, he forgave her. And after spending many months with her, he had learned it was relaxing to be around her, putting work, responsibility, and everything else aside, for a little while. She remembered who he used to be, _then_, and she knew who he was, _now_, but neither one of these personas mattered to her at all. Instead, she simply enjoyed their time together.

In the end, he had realized that he liked her. Because he had made a mistake in never accepting what he felt for Rin, until it was too late, he had resolved not make that mistake with Kagome. He invited her to this conference, as a first step, something small, yet obviously meaningful.

When he had asked for her presence, however, she had specifically avoided using the word "date" to describe the event. She had called him a "business associate" taking her on a trip. They had gone out for coffee, lunches, and dinners, they had walked together in parks and libraries, they even went shopping once. None of these excursions had been described as "dates" either. Somehow, he had thought a conference in another city, at an expensive hotel, followed by a leisurely day of travel through Kyoto…

Well, it seemed obvious to him. The way she purposefully skipped calling _this _a date, clearly, that signified benevolent rejection. She enjoyed being his friend, and she was unwilling to be more. Since he valued her friendship, as well, he had been willing to accept this.

So, what did it mean, if the miko wanted a compliment on her dress? She looked fantastic. And she had commented earlier that he could take all her clothes off, if he wanted…

And she was DRUNK so this line of thought was completely inappropriate!

The door opened, and the dark-haired, blue-eyed priestess meandered back to the bedroom, collapsing on the mattress. "I'm fine, now," she continued, as though the conversation had never paused, "Thank you for helping me upstairs. I don't need a goodnight kiss, even though I am a princess."

A subtle smile trailed over his mouth. "Is that so?"

"Yes, my mom says so," explained Kagome blearily, "S'why the goodnight kiss becomes necessary, you see. A princess deserves one, every day. It's duty."

Exiting the room, right then, probably would have been wise. Except for the fact Sesshoumaru noticed that she never actually made it _beneath_ the covers, so he felt compelled to tuck her feet under the blanket. And to ensure the alarm would not wake her to early in the morning. And to brush the hair off her forehead. "If it is a duty to bestow a good-night kiss," he stated at last, "Then this one shall comply."

She giggled. He told himself it was to be a simple kiss on the cheek, but as soon as his lips touched her soft skin, Kagome turned her head. So, Sesshoumaru adjusted his plan accordingly. Full kisses were fine too. With a sharp intake of breath, she opened her mouth slightly, and he let his tongue linger on her bottom lip, tasting her salty and sweet, full of peaceful warmth. Sliding her hands into his hair, she tugged him forward, and he shifted, deepening the kiss, tilting his head to one side. When the kiss turned sensual, she moaned.

Soon though, he pulled away, gasping for breath. Sesshoumaru decided that he going to go crazy, quietly and quickly. He wanted her. She wanted him. And she was too intoxicated to make clear decisions, on the matter. So, he bid her sweet-dreams, and painstakingly removed himself from the equation. For another few hours, at least.


	37. Chapter 37

Author's Note: This chapter goes out to **Sissi** – she is studying in Brazil and translating "Tales from the House of the Moon" into Portuguese! Wow! Plus, the fact that Sissi told me this, it means that she read my "author's note" in chapter 34. Goodness. Who reads these?

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 37**

Back to school.

The words had such a somber ring to them. Simply the _idea_ of going to class on Monday was disappointing. Ironically, when Kagome had traveled in the feudal era, she had always been eager to attend school – if only because she missed it so often. In high school, also, she had worked very hard to earn excellent grades. It made no difference, since her family had very little money – naturally, she attended a low-cost university. Still, she _knew _that her grades in high-school had been quite good, and it made her proud.

This week, however, she was not sick, tired, _or _trapped into doing death-defying stunts in the past. Yet for the first time, attending lectures seemed like a punishment rather than a privilege. Saturday had been entertaining, and Sunday… Sunday had soaked up the rest of her attention span for the week.

Her host had allowed her to sleep-late, then nursed the mild hangover that she developed by bringing her lots of water and ordering room-service. When she finally recovered, in mid-afternoon, Sesshoumaru had allowed her to pick her favorite activities, from the list they had developed together. Of course, she wanted to see Kyoto's Imperial Palace, but sadly, there were no tours on Sunday. Instead, they had decided to visit the Golden Pavilion and the Pure Water Temple, if there was enough time.

Kinkakuji, or the Golden Pavilion, was a Zen temple, dating from around the year 1400. Unfortunately, a monk had burned it down in 1950, so the current building was a remake. But in some ways, that made it better! Covered in gold leaf, the material had not faded too much in only half a century, and the temple shone brightly in the afternoon sun. Privately, she wondered who maintained the gold.

There had been no time to visit her second choice, before it closed. However, Kyoto contained many tourist attractions, so Kagome had insisted that Sesshoumaru find something else to do with her. Surely, certain places in the city did not close at five or six o'clock!

So, he had begrudgingly complied. And that was how she found herself at Fushimi Inari Shrine. When she saw thousands of torii gates, all painted bright orange and covered in kanji, Kagome had turned to face Sesshoumaru, delight written across her features. The torii gates covered miles of hiking trails, and she could actually feel holy power emanating from some of them. Strangely enough, however, there were torii gates inscribed with youki as well. It appeared that both demon and human had touched this shrine, and the surrounding mountain.

"_I'll make sure to tell Shippo that you visited a fox-shrine_," she had teased him brightly.

At this, Sesshoumaru's calm expression had fractured slightly. "_Please don't_," he had countered testily.

Afterward, there had been a lovely dinner, and… and… they had returned to the hotel, and… well, then he had kissed her again. It was distinctly unfair that Sesshoumaru gave such good kisses. Kagome felt overwhelmed.

She had thought that she liked him. Maybe. Okay, probably. And then, she had hit on him, like some adolescent, drunken fan-girl. That was embarrassing! But Sesshoumaru had behaved himself the night before, and he had not pressured her into doing anything the next night either…

And now she felt confused and awful.

Inuyasha had followed her into the future, expecting to live the rest of his life with her. For all intents and purposes, they were practically married! Even thinking about dating Sesshoumaru was a transgression against Inuyasha…

Except that she wasn't married to the ex-hanyou. He had left the shrine, in order to get a job in the countryside. Did she really want to spend the rest of her existence as the wife of a… towel-boy? No, no. A towel-boy who ran away when the situation became difficult!

Honestly, she was not angry at Inuyasha anymore. But how could she make a decision like this? It was impossible.


	38. Chapter 38

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 38**

"… for comparison's sake?"

Shippo stared, as Kagome trailed off at the end of her dialogue. The fox-demon looked troubled and vaguely appalled. Nervously, she shifted in her seat. Why was her adoptive son gawking at her, like that? It had not been such a terrible idea.

"So, you had a wonderful weekend with Sesshoumaru," summarized Shippo, "And now you want to visit Inuyasha."

"Yes," she answered resolutely. "You worked very hard to try to reunite us. Seriously, managing to talk Sesshoumaru into assisting you, that was beautifully done. And I have a stubborn streak. I know this. The only reason I resisted visiting Inuyasha earlier – that was because he had refused to visit me! It was… um… payback?"

"So, you like Sesshoumaru," the kitsune paraphrased, yet again. It seemed like he still could not wrap his mind around the idea that she had presented. "But you want to double-check whether you still like Inuyasha too."

Wide-eyed, the priestess shook her head frantically. "Hey! I'm not proposing a three-some, here!"

Shippo's eyes crossed, before he closed them and slumped into the sofa. Demonic energy began to leak into the lounge, where the kitsune sat across from her. Luckily, no one else in the dorm lingered in the student-lounge very often, so there were no witnesses to view the eerie blue flame swelling around his body.

"Don't ever talk about… _that_… in front of me, again," moaned the fox-demon, rubbing his rust colored hair, distractedly. "Please. It's bad enough picturing _one_ of them naked. Both would be fatal."

With a sigh, Kagome rose from her chair and reclined on the sofa beside her favorite fox-demon. "All I'm saying is that I should give Inuyasha a chance to explain himself," she explained gently, "Before I make any decisions about his brother. You remember which one of them came first."

Shippo traced an unremarkable outline onto the couch cushions with one claw. "Did you mention this to him?" inquired the kitsune blandly. "Sesshoumaru, I mean?"

The blush that covered her cheeks responded to the question just as thoroughly as words. She shook her head.

"I promised to stay by his side," Kagome murmured, uneasily. "But I haven't. Attending a university, that isn't the same as…"

Roughly, her companion interrupted the speech by standing and walking toward the door. "Don't be ashamed of your education," growled the kitsune imperiously. Then, with one final glance in her direction, he nodded in agreement. "I'll set something up."

Strangely, the expression that accompanied his promise looked almost like regret.

Because she was not familiar with _guilt_ pervading her son's countenance, Kagome held still, watching Shippo's back as he departed. Eventually, wracking her mind for the reason behind it, she lowered her eyes in confusion. It had been his idea, all along, to save the day by solving the problems in her relationship with Inuyasha. Yet now…

Why would a decision to speak with the ex-hanyou annoy the one person who planned a reunion, in the first place?


	39. Chapter 39

Author's Note: A few reviewers remarked that Satoshi was cute. This made me eager to write more about him.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 39**

"You know what?"

The kitsune's voice echoed slightly over the long-distance line, but Satoshi did not mind. Cradling the receiver closer to his ear, he thought that Shippo didn't usually bother to phone him in the middle of a week. This was a pleasant change.

"What?" retorted the white-haired pup, a smile stretching the lavender stripes on his skin. Since he was inside his apartment, he could remove the concealment spells.

"You should come home, for a week."

Wide-eyed, the smirk faded from Satoshi's face. "What?" he repeated, helplessly. "The semester's almost over…"

With a sigh, the fox-demon interrupted. "This is probably a futile endeavor," Shippo stated wearily, "Since I have tried once already, unsuccessfully… but would you help me drive Kagome into a secure, romantic relationship?"

Somehow, there was no appropriate reply for this. A young inu-youkai cuddled the telephone, pulling his knees toward his chest. No, no, no. It wasn't possible. Was it? Shippo was asking for _assistance_.

Whenever his fox-guardian encouraged him to do something, the activity inevitably landed both Shippo and Satoshi in loads of trouble. And the kitsune usually did not ask first. But of course, Satoshi would help! Not that there was much he could do. He was in _Europe_. Also, the pup didn't know this girl, Kagome, very well.

Growing up, he had heard stories about Inuyasha and the others from the fox. For the longest time, these tales had seemed more like fantasy than reality. This did not mean that Satoshi had failed to enjoy the storyline. But when his Father huffed, or commented that part of the narrative was untrue, well… Satoshi had always believed his parent, rather than his guardian.

Meeting the girl had been an absolute shock. Over winter break, he had spent each day with Shippo and with her.

Years ago, he had tugged on Shippo's tail every day – telling the fox to play with him, do tricks, teach him to transform, tell stories… And every game that he played with Shippo, it was always the most fun. Every trick that Shippo invented was incredible. Every time Shippo transformed, the shape was new. Every story he told, it was the best one.

Yet despite his adoration of the fox-demon, Satoshi had never _believed_ in his fiction. Not fully. When it came to raw, unmitigated truth, without a doubt Father won. Sesshoumaru never allowed his head to swim with too much nonsense. So, learning that Inuyasha and Kagome were alive – right now – the revelation had nearly sent him into fits. Part of his heart had wanted to remain in Japan; this semester, it had been difficult to pay attention.

"Okay, I'll help." Satoshi agreed strongly, before his tone turned plaintive. "Do I need to… stay more than a week?"

"No!" countered the kitsune, "Classes are important. You shouldn't miss too many."

"Shippo!" whined the white-haired pup, "I know most of this stuff already."

With the most important subject out of the way, the fox-demon was free to dig for pay-dirt and rumors. This was more his usual style, in any case. "Well, if you need to spend time with a certain young lady…" Shippo drawled lightly, "Then, I understand."

Color suffused Satoshi's skin, and he pushed the phone away from his ear. "If you're going to tease me, then I'll hang up, instead of buying airplane tickets!"


	40. Chapter 40

Author's Note: Yet again, I stole a line from **SeruleanOrbs**. This is the third time, in one fanfiction! See? Reviews prompt chapters.

The story is almost over – only 45 chapters total. (At least in my outline.) If you want something else, then tell me.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 40**

_Yes. Close enough._

Blatantly eavesdropping on his favorite priestess, Shippo pushed his way out of the lobby and into the hallway, sliding along one of the walls. A few other guests gave him strange looks, but the kitsune paid them no heed. He had to hear every word!

Satoshi had returned, in the nick of time. Well, perhaps saying 'in the nick of time' was incorrect. The timing had been elaborately planned by a certain fox-demon.

He needed an assistant. And due to Kagome's developing feelings for Sesshoumaru, the fox-demon could no longer request the taiyoukai aid him. Somehow, he had not prepared for this. Asking Sesshoumaru to encourage the relationship between Kagome and Inuyasha, it had exploded in his face. Instead of furthering the goal, the dastardly dog-demon had started to steal her away… and that was the worst news of all!

After traveling with Sesshoumaru for many years, Shippo knew the taiyoukai allowed very few people into his heart. If he enjoyed the time that he spent with Kagome, then what was Shippo supposed to do? Suddenly, it became clear that he could not make _everyone_ happy, in this situation. One of the dog-brothers would end up alone.

Thus, Shippo decided to determine which pairing pleased Kagome the most. Heartbreak might be inevitable, but he would ensure that only one heart suffered, rather than two. Hence, the beginnings of The Plan.

At the moment, the inu-youkai was searching Inuyasha's room in the hotel behind the onsen. The ex-hanyou had never met Sesshoumaru's son, so Satoshi might slip by without comment, as long as he was not caught while burrowing through private possessions. Really, it was reasonable behavior. Shippo merely desired information!

Meanwhile, Shippo had the best and worst job. He had to listen to Kagome and Inuyasha… Either these two would argue, or they would make up, and both results would be unpleasant to overhear.

Truly, it should be a crime to feel this conflicted. Nervousness was eating him up inside, dissolving his good temper. Inuyasha and Kagome still cared for one another, yes, but they did not always relate well. And… damn it! Sesshoumaru had bought her a diamond. A blue diamond. Sesshoumaru would not be caught dead buying anything less. The necklace _had to be _ a ridiculously expensive one. Didn't Kagome realize what he was offering? That he would never accept even a hint of duplicity?

Naturally, he had sworn Satoshi to silence. It had been easy, too. The pup was not supposed to be in Japan yet, and if anyone found out about this, then they would in a large amount of trouble. But luring the youngster away from his studies, that would be nothing – nothing! – compared to the disaster that might result from Sesshoumaru's knowledge of Kagome's return to Inuyasha. It would _ruin_ the taiyoukai to finally begin to leave his shell, only to learn that the world did not wait patiently for him to become more extroverted.

So, Shippo would investigate. Kagome deserved to be happy, too. At the first sign of a problem, however, between Kagome and Inuyasha… he was going to settle this affair once and for all!

Maybe! Okay, no probably not! But he was going to listen, carefully!

After all, he had promised Kagome. That someday, he would look after her, in the same way that she did for him… Ensuring a good future for her, it meant a great deal to Shippo. His loyalty lay with Kagome first, not the dog-demons.


	41. Chapter 41

Author's Note: I love how readers are clairvoyant in different ways. Llebreknit knows Inuyasha will do something stupid. StDogbert reviewed chapter 38, agreeing with Shippo (in chapter 40) that Sesshoumaru would be upset, if he knew. Missy Misa said that Kagome needs closure with Inuyasha… Everyone knows what is coming!! Haha!

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 41**

Over the top.

It was strange that she would feel this way, and yet… Kagome did. All day long, Inuyasha's behavior had been too sweet and too solicitous. It was weird. She was used to…

Well, she didn't know what she was 'used to' honestly. What had she expected from him? Rudeness? That would have annoyed her even more. Yet saccharine temperament did not equate with Inuyasha. Kagome was completely unprepared for it. In the end, it seemed like he was trying too hard to 'please' her. What did he expect from her?

After Inuyasha left the shrine, she had been extremely worried about him. But later, when she heard Shippo say that her dearest friend was still alive, gainfully employed, and doing well, Kagome had calmed. She had wanted to see Inuyasha; however, it was lack of _knowledge_, which had sent her into a frenzy. When she did not _know_ where he was or how he was, then she panicked – imagining all sorts of awful scenarios playing out to hurt the boy.

Guilt had consumed her – after all, she was the only reason Inuyasha came forward to the future and gave up his heritage. Kagome had never asked him to 'wish' to be human, but Inuyasha had believed it was right, so he had followed Kikyou's instructions, from decades ago. And then, the ex-hanyou had tried to attend school, get a job… all these activities in an unfamiliar world. Of course, Kagome had felt guilty, when she heard that he had disappeared!

Apparently, in the back of her mind, she still considered him unfamiliar with the future. The modern age had threats and technology that Kagome feared to be incomprehensible to her one-time half-demon friend. Yet perhaps she had not given him enough credit. While she finished highschool, Inuyasha had not idled his time away. He understood the basics. Public transportation, buying and selling items, finding a job… He managed well enough, on his own.

Yet somehow, this disappointed her too. Shaking her head, Kagome chastised herself for overthinking the situation. She could not have the best of both worlds! Either Inuyasha needed her help, or he didn't. She should not simultaneously desire him to be more independent _and_ fault him for not depending on her family _more_.

"I think it's very nice!" she nodded. Her ex-hanyou companion had toured the hotel with her, showing her the outdoor onsen, the gardens and finally the building itself. The hotel was not overly large, but it was very calm and relaxing. "They don't make you work too hard, right?"

"Nah," he scoffed, "It's easy. I like being in the country again."

A small blush made its way across her cheeks. Was he saying this, because he wanted to prove her wrong about liking the city? She liked the city. But she liked the countryside too. Maybe he was simply saying this, because he wanted to share information?

Argh! She was absolutely overanalyzing everything, today! "Oh, I like it too," Kagome babbled anxiously, trying to sound impressed. "It reminds me of the times that Miroku managed to finagle his way into a mansion, in the past… You know?"

"Really?" Inuyasha asked, "It's not that… Well, I mean… It isn't too bad. Kagome…"

"Yes?"

His tone implied that he was trying to be more serious now, and his eyes seemed darker than before. "Kagome…" her companion continued somberly. "There's something that I've been meaning to ask you…"

"Y-yes?" she replied again, rather breathlessly, as her companion stepped forward, coming close to her side.

"Does this look like a good enough place to… stay?" Unfortunately, the moment that he finished his sentence, a massive burst of unease overtook his expression, leaving Inuyasha to look uncertain and disconcerted. "You said once," he finished nervously, "That you would always stay by my side. I'm not blaming you for leaving, once – Hell, no! – but I hope this time you can stay."

Quickly, little parts of her heart that she had forgotten about, they began to burn. This was all her fault! Why didn't she just come home more often? It was not as though she had _intended_ to drive Inuyasha away, by going to college. School was not more important than the rest of her life…

Hm. Perhaps the guilt had never quite left her. Inuyasha had given up his future for her. But she had not given up anything for him! She had insisted upon attending a university. She had insisted that he learn how to live in a big city. She had…

Tears swam across her eyes, and Kagome looked at the floor, blinking them away rapidly. Why did she drive him away? Inuyasha was behaving so _nicely_ today. It was like they had never argued or squabbled over things in the past. Maybe she could just ignore their past problems, and focus on the future. After all, relationships were about compromise – and he had a steady job now, and maybe she didn't need to go to college, and…

"I guess you need a moment to think about it," muttered the ex-hanyou. "Or maybe I shouldn't expect an answer."

"Oh, no!" she protested unhappily. "It's not that…"

"Well, what then?" interrupted Inuyasha, bringing back a touch of the usual, brash warrior that she had always known. Impatience seemed much more 'normal' than sweetness, from him. "I wasn't running away from you, when I left the shrine. I was just leaving that place."

"Okay," she agreed. Although technically, she did not know what she was agreeing to. "That makes sense."

"I can't live there, in a big city, with fast-paced people and cars all the time. It's crazy!"

Taking one step backward, Kagome found herself confused by the comment. Wait, wait… What _was_ she agreeing to, exactly? The countryside was beautiful, but she did like the convenience of modern grocery stores, and that sort of thing…

Seeing her move to one side, Inuyasha froze. Suddenly, the saccharine sweetness returned. "You don't have to answer that yet," he decided, "I just wanted you to know how much I missed you."

"It's been months since we last saw each other," said Kagome in response, although part of her wanted to point out that he was the reason why they had not met sooner. She had tried to meet with Inuyasha, before today, but he had failed to show up. Still, mentioning this would be rude, and it would not improve the situation. "I missed you too," she announced finally.

Moving closer to her companion again, she fidgeted, wondering what to do next. Somehow, this all seemed incredibly awkward. All she had to do was forgive Inuyasha, and kiss him. It was for comparison's sake! That was an important step, right?

Perhaps she should be intoxicated first, so that she was not giving one brother an unfair advantage, in her own mind. Or perhaps she should just _ask_ Inuyasha to kiss her, so that she would not feel so embarrassed by the idea. Luckily, he seemed to get the point, when she inched closer and closer to his face, standing on her toes to reach his height.

So, Inuyasha kissed her. And it was pleasant. His lips met hers, softly, several times. Kagome enjoyed it. But at the same time, she couldn't help thinking about … well… other things. It certainly was not a mind-blowing experience. It was not even very distracting. If necessary, then she could have planned her schedule for the next day, with her eyes closed, as she thought of other things while they kissed.

In fact, it was slightly boring. Frowning, Kagome leaned back and looked at Inuyasha, tentatively. Was this reaction simply because she had pressured him, too much? He had been trying to act sweet, all day. Maybe he didn't think he was allowed to kiss her firmly.

Bright eyes met her gaze, as Inuyasha stared. His eyes were not gold any longer, but they glittered nonetheless, after she took the initiative to kiss him. "Ah," he noted, seeming slightly dazed, "So it can happen."

A light gasp sounded from the corner of the hallway, and both Kagome and Inuyasha turned to see another young girl, standing in the middle of the door. Based on her uniform, the girl was obviously another one of the workers at the inn. As Kagome watched, though, the girl's hair began to bleed into a different color. Staring in amazement, she realized there was more to this picture than there originally seemed to be. Normal people did not have black hair that abruptly flowed into blue.

As if she was trying to avoid the inevitable question, the girl at the end of the hallway turned and fled, with an expression almost haunted by grief.

"Mako-chan?" Inuyasha inquired, as their previously unknown companion fled the scene. Evidently, Inuyasha was equally confused by the situation. He turned to her, taking her gently by the arms and pushing Kagome away. "Sorry," explained Inuyasha, flustered, "I'll be right back. I think something happened…"

And before she could answer, her companion left.

Blinking, Kagome tried to understand what had transpired. She kissed Inuyasha, and then… someone else saw them kissing, and then Inuyasha had to go? Um…

Well, that was the most random, exasperating ending to a kiss that she could possibly imagine.


	42. Chapter 42

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 42**

"Wait for me!"

As he followed her down the stairs and out of the hotel, toward the serving area where he was staying, Inuyasha could not help but feel completely befuddled. Mako-chan was an acquaintance – no, a good friend – at the inn. The entire time that Inuyasha had known her, the girl had been rather quiet and shy. But she had always been willing to talk to him, and she often seemed to appear wherever he was. They had gone out a few times, and he had enjoyed spending time with her. He thought…

Well, he didn't know what to think! A best friend of the opposite gender – it was sort of like having Kagome around, in the beginning of their relationship. After all, when he first met Kagome, the hanyou had been unable to believe that anyone would spend time with him or get to know him as a person. But Kagome had forcibly inserted herself into his life. And Makoto had made this effort too.

Why were women always so difficult to comprehend? Just when he thought he was getting the hang of it, Inuyasha found himself lost and confused, all over again. Mako-chan, she acted timid, but not _scared_ of anything! Yet a few moments ago, when she saw him with Kagome, the girl had burst into tears and run off crying.

Without knowing what to think, Inuyasha had pursued her. Something terrible must have occurred to make the girl so upset. Ironically, it felt a bit like those times he _knew_ that Kagome knew that he had visited Kikyou in the forest.

Argh! Guilt was the last thing that he wanted to feel, right now! Nothing happened between himself and Makoto. Even if they spent lots of time together, he shouldn't feel _guilty_ about kissing Kagome, simply because Mako-chan saw this. Should he?

In any case, Kagome could wait for a few minutes, while he checked on his friend. The priestess had always been good about waiting. No matter how many times he left to chase Kikyou, there had always been a smile waiting for him at the end of the road, when he returned to Kagome. She would understand, once he explained.

Finally, he caught up to her, behind the hotel. They were on the outside of the rear-wall, which separated the onsen from the nearby woods. "Makoto?" called Inuyasha tentatively as he walked toward her.

"Go away," muttered the girl, refusing to face him. Her hair was completely blue – and it was a bright color like the evening sky, not a subdued, navy glow. And her skin looked… slightly greenish.

What was she, a seahorse youkai, or something? Thinking that it would _not_ go well, if he asked this, Inuyasha bit his tongue. "Are you okay?" he inquired.

"M'fine," Makoto mumbled, curling into herself against the wall to block his view of her skin and hair. "G'way."

Quickly, he ran through all the youkai that he ever encountered in his head, trying to identify the unbelievable change in his friend's appearance. Hmm… no, definitely some type of youkai. Well, fuck. That was… It meant…

Wide-eyed, Inuyasha slid down the wooden wall to crouch on the ground, suddenly needing the extra support. He had been friends with her for months and months, and he had never even guessed. But just like his brother and the kitsune, it seemed that the girl he had known was only a façade. Mako-chan had a concealment spell around her, altering her appearance to look like a normal human.

And she was trying to hide it from him!

A spark of fury lit within his chest. Ever since coming to the future, fragments of his heart missed being a hanyou. Sometimes, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, he _regretted_ becoming a human. Out of all the people in the world that Makoto might have to fear – he was not one of them!

But in the end, they were in the same position. She didn't know his past, not fully. Apparently, he didn't know hers either. Not really.

And it had to end, today. Somehow, they would work through this. The sight of one of his newest, sweetest friends huddling in terror – _because she was special_ – it made him sick! It was completely unacceptable!

"No, I'm not going away!" Inuyasha sputtered, frustration licking at his voice like flame. "What the fuck are ya doing, down there, anyway? I _like_ blue hair."

It wasn't the most elaborate or erudite comment, but it conveyed his message clearly enough. She hadn't escaped his notice, and he wasn't horrified by shockingly electric-blue locks, and she was still considered a friend. Now, if he could only leech the anger out of his tone. Mako-chan wasn't someone toward whom he felt angry.

When she looked at him, at last, tears were dribbling over her cheeks and over her chin. If Inuyasha had been in his hanyou form, his ears would have flattened and he would have taken a step backward. But instead, he simply stayed put, as though his feet were rooted to the ground.

Well, damn. She shouldn't be crying this much, simply because her transformation spell failed. The blue-haired, olive skinned girl had tiny scales running over her nose, and she looked overwhelmingly hurt.

"You…" mouthed Makoto in shock, evidently unable to believe his comment. Her voice trailed out in a whisper. "You… know I'm a half-demon? But…"

Rubbing one hand on the back of his head, Inuyasha felt sheepish. "No," he admitted, "Not before now. That's a pretty good disguise. Usually. But you don't need it around me. Okay?"

Unfortunately, rather than improving the situation, this remark only made things worse. Tiny tears began to leak over her chin once more. Perhaps he had never given her enough time to get them under control? And this time, Mako-chan began to laugh too.

Laughing and crying at the same time, that was bad for the health, right?

"Why is it," hiccuped his companion, as Inuyasha's hands fluttered uselessly at her side, "That the perfect guy… You're not supposed to say things that make me like you _more_, when you…"

Inuyasha held his breath, before he built up the courage to sit by her side. Strangely enough, he could understand what she said. Learning that one of his best friends was, in fact, an extremely cute _hanyou_… it made him like her more. And it was distressing to realize that he liked her _more_, on the very day that he made up with Kagome.

Tilting his head back, he stared at the top of the wooden barrier between the onsen and the forest. Inside the hotel, the priestess would wonder where he had gone. Of course, she would. They had waited so long to talk, after he left the shrine. And he had spent the whole day trying to _impress_ her – to make Kagome think that he was awe-inspiring, kind, and happily employed – so that she would _stay_ with him, this time.

But then, the moment that Mako-chan appeared, he had departed. In that instant, it became more protect his newest friend from whatever distress she suffered, than it was to stand beside Kagome. This had happened before, with Kikyou. He knew it. He had hurt the women that he loved, unable to decide between them.

It could not be allowed to happen again. He had to make a choice and stick with it. Yet he thought he had…

Until Makoto started crying, and he discovered that she was a hanyou, and he realized that he wanted to know her better. He wanted to tell her that he had been a half-demon too. He wanted to say that he understood what she was going through, even if he didn't, because suddenly, reassuring her became the most imperative task in his existence.

Maybe… that _was_ the choice? Oh, damn it. Maybe he had already made a choice, without even realizing it. With a sigh, Inuyasha gave Makoto a one-sided hug, letting her cry on his shoulder. Kagome would wait a few more minutes. She always did. And if not…

...he would worry about that later.


	43. Chapter 43

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 43**

"Dating a hanyou?"

Her voice was strangely blank, while she said this. Satoshi squirmed uneasily, not used to dealing with temperamental women or relationship problems. Drawing strength from the kitsune, who calmly stood between the two of them, Satoshi continued at last. "Yes, that is how it seemed, at least. There were pictures of her in the bedroom where he is staying. Why else would someone have pictures of a girl in his bedroom?"

Quietly, Kagome felt her faith in Inuyasha splinter. It hadn't been very strong lately, anyway. Strangely though, the ending of a relationship did not hurt as much as she thought it would. In fact, she felt somewhat relieved.

If the girl that Inuyasha saw in the hallway was a _hanyou_, then for the first time, he could relate to someone on an equal level. It was like watching the disastrous relationship with Kikyou all over again – only this time, from the other side. What had Kikyou thought about Kagome stealing her lover away? She never wanted to be the 'other' woman doing what Kikyou had done to her. Furthermore, this girl actually seemed to _like_ Inuyasha. And that was great! In the past, Kikyou had loved him, but she had never trusted or understood the dog-eared boy. This girl, however, might comprehend his life-experiences and marvel at them.

Guilt lingered in her chest, only it was not Inuyasha causing the problem anymore. She should never have allowed him to wish to be human, when he would have been happier as a half-demon. She should have stopped him! Kagome had always liked the hanyou version of Inuyasha, anyway.

On the other hand… maybe she was finding problems to obsess over. Technically, she had not forced Inuyasha to make a wish on the Shikon no Tama. They had agreed that he could make any wish, as long as it was pure and unselfish – as long as he had the right frame of mind. Wishing to become a human for Kikyou – that wish might not have worked, since the priestess was simply trying to settle down and be a 'normal woman' and Inuyasha was trying to please her. Selfishness during the wish might ruin it. But years later, Kagome had told him that if he wished to become a human, and it was not "for Kagome" or "for Kikyou" or even _for himself_… then maybe they could erase the self-interest behind the wish.

Poking her in the side, Shippo drew her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

With a small smile, she nodded. "I was thinking," Kagome said slowly, "It would be really pathetic to keep chasing after Inuyasha at this point, wouldn't it?"

"Do you…" murmured the fox-demon uneasily, "Do you _want_ to?"

Happiness filled her chest, as she firmly closed the door to the past. "Nope," announced Kagome, "I gave him today, because I wanted to allow him a chance to explain why he left the shrine. But he never did."

At her side, Shippo relaxed, leaning on the counter at the front desk in relief. "Well, then! I'm glad we could help you make this very important decision," chirped the kitsune.

Hands on her hips, the priestess returned her adoptive son's banter. "Oh?" inquired Kagome playfully, "How did you help? Satoshi might have helped, but you merely followed us around all day. Without telling me, by the way. That is called eavesdropping!"

A mock gasp met her words in reply, and Shippo stepped backward with one hand placed over his chest. "I was the unobtrusive chaperone," he protested, nimbly avoiding her accusation, "Ensuring that Inuyasha didn't try anything!"

At this, Kagome blushed and turned away. In the end, Inuyasha had been on his best behavior. She was the one who had kissed him, not the other way around. But it had been for comparison's sake, that's all! And she had been unnerved by her companion's pleasant, solicitous behavior. When she realized there was no passion behind the kiss, she had felt very foolish. Feelings of guilt and obligation did not inspire love.

"Yes, well. Um… You were a very good chaperone," decided Kagome finally. "Nothing happened."

In the blink of an eye, Shippo moved from teasing-mode to torturing-mode. As he turned to Satoshi, the inu-youkai pup could obviously tell a change had come over his guardian too. Satoshi put his hands up, claws facing forward, but the kitsune paid this threat no heed.

"Now. If Kagome is officially not dating Inuyasha," mused the fox-demon, crossing his arms over his chest, "Then the only one with relationship troubles is… Satoshi."

The blue-eyed priestess blinked in confusion, since she had almost forgotten about Sesshoumaru's son and his interest in a human girl overseas. That was the event that started all of this, though, wasn't it?

Continuing without a pause, Shippo purposefully deliberated out loud. "And the best way to solve that dilemma would be… to hook up Sesshoumaru and Kagome. Your father can't complain about you dating a human, if he is doing it too!"

Both listeners groaned, and Satoshi quickly moved to stand beside her. All things being equal, they needed to present a united front. After all, Shippo's matchmaking skills were NOT the best. He had recently tried (and failed) to reunite her with Inuyasha. Envisioning Shippo's methods for marrying off Sesshoumaru? Well, that would not be pretty. In fact, it would probably spell the end of his existence.

"That is none of your business, young man," scolded Kagome, waving one finger at him.

"Yea! Opposites don't really attract," the young dog-demon added, "That's just a proverb!"

Wide-eyed, Kagome faced Satoshi. Hey! Wait a minute! Did the boy seriously not think that they would make a cute couple? Even if she wasn't actually dating Sesshoumaru yet, she felt slightly miffed by this implication.

Seeing Kagome's surprise and disappointment, Shippo put one hand over his eyes and sighed. No one had shared the latest news with Satoshi, apparently. No, no. That should have been his job. But honestly, Shippo had forgotten to do it, because the situation with Inuyasha had seemed more important and immediate. And… and… Okay. Fine. He had wanted to irritate Satoshi for a while by mysteriously alluding to the information, before revealing it.

Before the kitsune could correct his young charge, however, another voice interrupted them. Both of Kagome's companions stiffened in shock, their faces turning pale and mortified.

"I don't know about that, Satoshi," Sesshoumaru said darkly, stepping through the doorway nearest the front door. He calmly slid sunglasses into his shirt pocket, while the youngest inu-youkai whimpered. "Japan seems to have attracted you from the opposite end of the Earth. Aren't your finals approaching?"

Simultaneously, all three of them wondered exactly how long the taiyoukai had been listening to the conversation.


	44. Chapter 44

Author's Note: I just realized this must be longer than 45 chapters– there is an essential three-word chapter-introduction that I forgot to use. It must be used for the epilogue. Also, I didn't leave enough time for a lemony moment, and the story-rating is T… not K. They've only kissed ONCE so far, in the written text. ^_^

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 44**

"Satoshi!" hissed Shippo.

Unfortunately, the dog-demon was temporarily paralyzed and could not reply. Never one to allow silence to deter him from speaking, the kitsune continued in a whisper, "I gave you my credit card number to purchase the airline ticket, right?"

"I didn't write it down!" protested the teen, under his breath.

"You do realize that I told you my credit card number, for a reason?" Shippo growled. "He checks your account for large purchases. Like airplane tickets."

"I thought it wouldn't matter, because I'll be home in a week, and I'll just take the bill _out of the mail_!"

"Oh! As if that would work!" Shippo returned. "He would still notice the extra 300 thousand yen that you spent this semester."

Head turning back and forth to follow the dialogue, Kagome watched her friends argue. As they argued, the volume of their voices steadily increased. It was outright bizarre how the kitsune could nitpick Satoshi for table-manners or stupidity in an almost paternal way, yet he could switch directions abruptly, acting like a giant child when dealing with Kagome or Sesshoumaru.

His current behavior would be a perfect example, in fact. Her adoptive son was behaving like a five-year old. A crafty, devious, sneaky five-year old, but a five-year old nonetheless. It began the moment that Sesshoumaru stepped onto the scene.

Frowning at Shippo, she pushed him out of the way and focused on Sesshoumaru's son. "Satoshi!" Kagome exclaimed, "I thought it was your summer break, already! If you still have finals to take, what are you doing here?"

The young inu-youkai fell silent. He was accustomed to arguing with the kitsune, but not with her. Having a human (who he only met that winter) chastise him – it was truly unusual.

In the background, Sesshoumaru seemed amused by her response. Kagome didn't notice. School was important in her mind. She had fought with Inuyasha more about this one subject, than anything else. It was appalling to think that she had somehow caused this child to miss some of his classes.

"And you, Shippo!" admonished the priestess. "How dare you lie to me?"

"I didn't…" he began, but Kagome cut him off.

"Yes, you did," she told him firmly. "You said that we could bring Satoshi to the inn, today. But he isn't supposed to be in the country!"

Narrowing her eyes, she gave her son a ferocious glare. Shippo shivered under the onslaught. Apparently, he was even less accustomed to dealing with Kagome's wrath than Satoshi was. Or perhaps it simply meant more, when criticism came from one of his past-caretakers.

The taiyoukai redirected her fury, smothering it with icy calm. "Actually, I often know more than they suspect," he stated smoothly. "For instance, when I learned that Inuyasha lived here, I hired a private investigator to give periodic reports on his behavior. The boy was unwilling to speak with me directly, and I did not trust the fox to remain objective in this matter."

Deflating slightly, Shippo grimaced. This meant that no one had appreciated all his hard work. No one had needed the help. Not Kagome, not Inuyasha, not Sesshoumaru… Such news was very discouraging to a fox-demon who enjoyed meddling in other people's affairs.

But the taiyoukai ignored the kitsune. Instead, he was watching Kagome carefully, treating everyone else like a spectator while they were the main actors on stage. "Which is why I know," Sesshoumaru informed her, "That he is not, in fact, dating anyone. At this time."

Kagome's heartbeat increased, under his gaze. Why would Inuyasha's older brother tell her something like this? Not to mention the embarrassment factor this provided. Obviously, Sesshoumaru had overheard _plenty_ of their conversation. She wondered if he also learned about the kiss. There had not been anyone in that hallway, until the other half-demon appeared. And it did not seem like Sesshoumaru's style to skulk about in corridors, waiting to spy on people. But then, Shippo had been there – and she hadn't noticed him while she kissed Inuyasha.

His expression remained studiously blank, not giving her a hint at the purpose behind his statement. What did he _think_ that she would do, upon hearing this news? Run back into Inuyasha's arms?

Finally, she realized that was exactly what he feared. This was a test. Trial and error – what _would_ her response be? It wasn't that he doubted her, but he definitely wanted to know, ahead of time.

Feeling a blush work its way across her cheeks, and then over her nose, Kagome shook her head vigorously. "Oh! No, we're not…" she sputtered, attempting to answer the question that he hadn't asked. "I'm not interested in dating Inuyasha."

"If spending time with a man, alone, is not a 'date'," pushed the taiyoukai, eyes almost seeming to glimmer gold behind the glamour spell that concealed his true appearance, "Then what is?"

By now, her heart was racing. Maybe he had seen more than she hoped. Maybe he was jealous. Or was that anger? Intense interest in a particular subject? There should be laws against someone being this hard to read!

"You're not dating someone, if you just spend time with him!" asserted Kagome. "Girls can have male _friends_, without dating them."

"For example, what would you call dinner, followed by a walk through a park?" countered the taiyoukai, refusing to let her drop the subject.

The blush was going to cause her permanent damage, Kagome decided, unless she could control it. Suddenly, it did not seem like they were talking about Inuyasha, at all. It seemed a little bit like they were speaking of each other. Sesshoumaru had taken her out for dinner (and lunch, and coffee), and they had visited various nice places together… Not to mention their trip to Kyoto, which had been beyond fabulous.

But those hadn't been dates, because the idea of _Sesshoumaru_ being interested in a human girl like herself – it was ridiculous. At least this was what she had instructed herself, firmly, before traveling to Kyoto with him. The old Sesshoumaru and the new one, they were similar, and she had gladly attached her prior knowledge of him to her current understanding of the situation.

Still, it would be a lie to say the taiyoukai had not changed in the past 500 years. Evidently, she was wrong about him. Making unwarranted assumptions about people – this always caused trouble.

"Dating requires steps that one doesn't normally take with a friend," she announced uncertainly, "At the end of the date?"

A tiny ghost of a smile lifted one corner of his mouth. "I see. So, we have been on only one date."

Feeling distinctly hopeful, Kagome managed to squeak out a reply against all odds. "Either that, or you are lagging behind by fifty-four good-night kisses." Yes, she had counted.

Lifting her chin with one finger, he leaned forward and kissed her, quite thoroughly. Entwining her arms around his neck, Kagome decided it sounded a bit like one of them might be purring. But she could not hazard a guess which one of them it might be.

Behind them, Shippo rapidly snuck around to Satoshi's side and began to tug on the youngster's arm. Obviously, it would be beneficial to depart (flee), while the taiyoukai was distracted by Kagome. Unfortunately though, the young inu-youkai was not prepared to leave. Staring at his father in morbid fascination, he could not seem to shut his jaw. After an especially large pull on his arm, Satoshi sprawled face-first onto the tile in the lobby.

Finally pulling back from the kiss and looking down at the nearby disaster, Kagome giggled happily. "It seems your son missed the floor, while walking," she noted.

Inside her chest, tiny bubbles of delight had exploded, drifting toward the surface of her heart without any warning. It was making everything around her seem absolutely wonderful, even though the outcome probably did not seem so hilarious to Satoshi. This kiss definitely won, hands-down, against the bland, non-existence of passion in her kiss with Inuyasha earlier that day.

With a hopeful look, the young dog-demon stared at his father still cuddling the miko close to his chest. "So, does this mean that I…"

"No," Sesshoumaru answered immediately, returning his attention to the priestess in his arms. In his opinion, this was a far more rewarding view.

"You've never even met her!" protested Satoshi.

The taiyoukai agreed solemnly. "That is my point entirely."


	45. Chapter 45

Author's Note: Yes, this is a purposefully pointless fluff chapter. Fluff is important.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 45**

"Twenty," he murmured.

Blushing furiously, Kagome noted that she may have been mistaken to flirt with Sesshoumaru in such a manner, in the lobby of the inn. But then, who knew that dog-demons took debts so seriously? "Fifty-four seems like an awfully large number," she admitted breathlessly, "You don't have to make up the difference."

It had only been one week since then, and he had managed to visit her each evening. Miraculously, Kagome also had managed to free up time in her schedule. Doing homework for class was not nearly as exciting as spending time with her favorite taiyoukai.

And each night, he had chipped away at his total number of back-logged goodnight kisses. But clearly, he was not counting fairly! Making one kiss last for several minutes, this should not count as "one"… It was more like five, or fifteen, or something.

Perhaps this was a bizarre form of vengeance against her, for counting the number of "dates" they had _not_ been on, since they first associated at the start of the semester. Yes, that might be it.

Furrowing her brow she glared up at him. "I still haven't told Inuyasha…"

Fingers slid over her mouth as a light burned behind his eyes. Whether it was concern or dark humor, she could not quite tell. Apparently though, he did not want to hear his little brother's name, while standing this close to her. "Oh, come on!" she complained lightly. "We have to tell him at some point."

"We?" Sesshoumaru answered, curious.

"Yes," nodded Kagome. "Secretly, you know you want to be there. To watch your half-brother have a meltdown."

He smiled, sharp and feral, before slowly circling behind her and drawing her back against his chest. His body was warm and his mouth was hot against the back of her neck, when he pressed his lips there. Counting this as success, she thanked him for agreeing to come along for the visit.

It was probably only because she went temporarily insane that she thought this would be a good idea, though. Sesshoumaru quickly rerouted her fears in a new direction. "Indeed, I suppose he may," the dog-demon noted blithely, "If he sees both of us emerge from a room together, one morning."

Wriggling her shoulders to force him to release her arms, Kagome revolved until she was facing the obstinate inu-youkai behind her. "Hey, now. I didn't say I was going to spend the night with you!"

"Hn." He ran one hand through her hair, tracing the backs of his claws against her scalp. Kagome shivered and decided that breathing should not be so difficult. The smile had vanished from his expression, but it was still faintly present in his eyes, and it warmed her all the way to her toes.

"Well, at least," she continued, loosing her resolve, "Not in order to give Inuyasha a heart-attack. That's mean."

The white-haired demon observed her intently. As usual, he seemed to be able to pinpoint the words behind her words, instead of what she actually told him. "In my day," Sesshoumaru resolved quietly, "It was not customary to disrespect a girl by sleeping with her without some formal commitment."

It felt like the pieces of her heart were melting inside her chest. Even though he hadn't said it directly, he thought she deserved commitment. That was, without a doubt, the sweetest thing that any guy ever told her. So, although Sesshoumaru was sidestepping the issue slightly, refusing to admit exactly what he meant, this remark was very enlightening. She smiled blissfully and snuggled her head into his chest.

"In your day… hmm? Would that be the Heian Era?"


	46. Chapter 46

****

Author's Note: It isn't over quite yet. Actually, there are 50 chapters... I just ended up using this chapter introduction earlier than expected.

A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 46

A distant promise.

Since returning from the feudal era, she had finished high school and entered college. She had seen the demise of an old relationship, and the birth of a new, completely unexpected love. Time might wear down mountains, but a distant promise of hope always seemed to lie in the future.

Today, she wanted to show this to Inuyasha too, freeing him from the past. He should not feel attached to her by responsibility or obligation, when there was a beautiful half-demon waiting for him patiently, hopefully, in the background. Kagome would not repeat Kikyou's mistakes.

Sesshoumaru had come too. Unfortunately, so did Shippo. Kagome could feel the blackmail material mounting by the second. In fact, even her roommate, Mariko, had been interested in joining the weekend trip to a hot-springs resort. Somehow, the idea of Kagome actually finding a steady boyfriend still managed to amaze the girl. The blue dress had fried a circuit in her brain, and Mariko insisted that she needed to meet this charming, young man.

Mischievously, the kitsune had suggested that she dress up, taunting Inuyasha with what he could not have. As she shot down this idea, Kagome was astonished when the inu-youkai suggested that she offer relationship counseling, in case Inuyasha had not noticed the young hanyou girl yet. Between the two of them, these demons made her want to pull out her hair.

So, after slipping out to the front desk, she told them to send Inuyasha to the second-floor lounge. Now, all she needed to do was chase Shippo away with a stick, and the plan would be perfect. Perhaps her taiyoukai could help with this. He did employ the fox, after all.

"Sesshoumaru?" inquired Kagome, sliding through one of the shoji screens in the lounge.

The dog-demon never even looked up from his newspaper. "Don't worry," he intoned calmly, "Shippo is gone. Probably not far enough, but I reminded him that he was still in trouble for waylaying my son from Europe."

"Hehe!" With a chuckle, she bashfully rubbed the back of her head. Well, then. Perhaps it annoyed the white-haired demon too, watching the kitsune hover over them like the king of gossip. "Thank you."

Sitting at the table with Sesshoumaru, she stared nervously out the window. He slid one hand across the divide and stilled her fidgeting hands, touching their backs with his claws.

"Sorry," murmured Kagome. "I just feel anxious, because I want him to be happy."

"Tell him that, then."

And that was how Inuyasha found them, when he pushed his way into the room. Violet eyes widened at the sight of his elder brother sitting across from his old sweetheart. Since their initial meeting at the onsen, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had barely exchanged ten words.

Suddenly, Kagome wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew, by inviting Sesshoumaru to come to this meeting.

"Kagome," greeted the ex-hanyou cordially, maintaining his distance. She patted the seat beside her, but he did not approach. There was distinctly only one name mentioned in his greeting, as well.

"Hi, Inuyasha." Clearing her throat, she looked at Sesshoumaru and then down at her hands. This was incredibly awkward. Oh! If only she could return to the days in which they argued, she screamed 'Osuwari!' and then marched away, triumphant. That made everything easy.

"I wanted to say that I know about Makoto-chan," she smiled. "And I think she seems really nice. What do you think about her?"

Dumbfounded as any male would be, when faced with such dialogue, Inuyasha stared. "Wha…" stammered the dark-haired boy. "She's nice enough, I suppose. What's that got to do with anything?"

Since the conversation was quickly going nowhere, Kagome decided to take a leaflet from Sesshoumaru's notebook of suggestions. "Well, she likes you," announced the priestess firmly. "And I want you to be happy, more than I want you to be with me."

Wide-eyed, Inuyasha walked across the room at last, gazing down at her as though she had grown two heads. This made her feel terrible, since she didn't recall being so mean and demanding during their relationship that he should doubt her expression of goodwill. But still, progress was progress. At least he was close to Sesshoumaru now.

The taiyoukai did not appear to enjoy the delay, however. Or perhaps it was the abject stupidity that showed in his half-brother's face at that moment. In any case, nudging her leg with his foot, he brought her back to focus on the situation at hand.

"Besides, I like Sesshoumaru," she added with a big smile, hoping to make this news sound as positive as possible. The sincerity behind her words was obvious. She really did like him. Her choice was official, now. Seeing him in the modern era, it was a vision of Sesshoumaru in his middle-aged years, behaving 'nicely' toward people. Well, as nicely as he could, in any case. The grin on her face softened and deepened, at this thought.

On the other hand, the look on Inuyasha's face immediately darkened, and he faced his elder brother. "What the fuck is this supposed to be, you bastard?"

"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome, rising from her chair and putting her palms down on the table. The ex-hanyou ignored her, in favor of glaring daggers at his sibling.

Sesshoumaru placidly finished her explanation. "I believe the miko is trying to convey that she cares about you as a _brother_," he uttered unevenly, his voice trailing off at the end.

"And perhaps…" The last few words in the phrase seemed impossibly difficult to finish, but the taiyoukai persevered resolutely. As Inuyasha opened his mouth to object strenuously, the white-haired dog-demon managed to strip all the wind from his sails. "Perhaps…" concluded Sesshoumaru, "She has a great deal to teach… others about this subject, as well."

It looked a little bit like their companion might have been submerged in the ocean without warning, before he passed out after forgetting to breathe for too long.

"Ah?!" squealed Kagome, kneeling down on the floor. "Inuyasha? Are you okay?"

An incoherent mumble was her only reply.


	47. Chapter 47

Author's Note: **SeruleanOrbs** wants to meet Satoshi's girlfriend, at least once. And I take reader requests seriously.

**A Distant Promise - Mini-Chapter # 47**

"I'm an uncle?"

As the ex-hanyou voiced his shock, the rest of the group responded, each in their own way. Naturally, Sesshoumaru remained calm and unaffected. He was a master at conveying information, while seeming not to care about its effect on one's mentality. Satoshi smiled hopefully at him. Apparently, he was rather excited about being a 'nephew' for the first time. Shippo snickered. Makoto blushed, happy on Inuyasha's behalf even if he could not show it.

And Kagome? Well, she felt sympathetic. Without a doubt, her poor friend was having a very stressful summer. He had not been expecting so many visitors, at once, this early in the morning. And he was certainly overwhelmed by the fact that Sesshoumaru had actually _returned_ to the hotel to make good on his promise.

Breaking up with Inuyasha, it had been easier and harder than Kagome expected, all because of Sesshoumaru's presence. The taiyoukai had kept her focused and encouraged her when she needed it. Yet he had also thrown a new loop into the lines threading around their situation. As she officially severed her relationship with Inuyasha, the elder brother extended a friendly hand, calling Inuyasha 'brother' instead of 'half-brother' for the first time. It was subtle, but one word had built a huge difference into their relationship, like a bridge over a gully that before they had never been able to cross.

And when Satoshi returned for summer break, Sesshoumaru remembered his promise to Inuyasha. In an effort to include his younger sibling into the family, everyone had traveled to the inn where he worked. The ex-hanyou had emerged from his room, rubbing his eyes, still half-asleep to greet Kagome. Makoto-chan had followed closely on his heels. While Kagome had stammered, trying to ignore the fact that both of them emerged from the same room, Sesshoumaru had bluntly introduced everyone in the group.

And obviously, without a few minutes to wake up, this information was shocking. Inuyasha stared at his nephew in disbelief. Satoshi quivered slightly in excitement. "I'm older than you are," the young inu-youkai added exultantly.

Inuyasha blinked, then mouthed an artificial smile. "Oh?" he replied, "What does that have to do with anything?"

At this, Satoshi became slightly disappointed. There were no shortcuts to becoming Inuyasha's friend. Teasing or acting mischievous, like Shippo always had taught him, would not endear this particular uncle to him. So, he switched his approach. After all, Satoshi was familiar with his father's moods as well. When dealing with a grumpy man in the morning, before his first cup of coffee, the best method was not silliness or smiles, but serious vows concerning caffeine and its imminent approach.

"And if you want," Satoshi said, glancing at his father over one shoulder for approval, "We can buy you breakfast."

The eldest dog-demon did not agree or disagree. Instead, he noted blankly, "If you truly wish to spend time together, then Inuyasha is more than welcome to escort you to the airport tomorrow."

"Ah?" protested the pup, "But you said that you _wanted_ to meet her?"

The taiyoukai's face crumpled into a slight grimace. In the background, Shippo tried very, very hard to bite his lips hard enough to avoid laughing aloud. Kagome wondered what she had missed.

"Indeed," continued Sesshoumaru haughtily, "It seems that I must finance the girl's trip to Japan, as well."

At last, Kagome understood. Satoshi liked a human girl in Europe, and Sesshoumaru needed to meet her before making a decisions about whether he liked her. And evidently, the girl was visiting soon! The taiyoukai had not mentioned it to Kagome, since he was not excited about this encounter. But this was good news, right?

With a smile, she turned toward Sesshoumaru, taking his hand. He could delay the meeting a bit, but not forever.


	48. Chapter 48

Author's Note: Whew. **SeruleanOrbs **requested to meet Satoshi's girlfriend, so I did my best, despite the language barriers. It ended up ... still being a chapter about Sess x Kag though. : D

**A Distant Promise - Mini-Chapter # 48**

Eleni Inès Laroque.

It was a difficult name for Kagome to say, because she struggled with the letter 'L' sometimes. She felt certain that she would never remember it. Worse still, it did not matter either way. Satoshi certainly liked this girl, but the rest of the group would not see her often. There seemed to be almost no point in forcing herself to remember the name, and to pronounce it properly.

Eleni was an interesting addition to their group, though. At first, she acted nervous. This was easily explainable as a product of her trip to Japan, a place that she had never been, and her introduction to a group of strangers that she had never encountered. But the girl seemed excitable too - high-spirited and independent. After all, her parents had allowed her on this trip, without any company. Kagome's family would never have permitted her to trail across the globe, alone... not ever. If the Higurashi clan went on vacation, they all traveled together! So, Kagome admired their guest for her independence.

After Inuyasha and Satoshi collected their visitor from the airport, Kagome was delighted to see that the two boys were getting along better than the day before. Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone immediately paired off, upon reaching the inn, except for Shippo. Inuyasha had Makoto follow him around, and Satoshi lingered near his new girlfriend, Eleni. Meanwhile, Kagome had Sesshoumaru. But Shippo - the poor fox! - he had to work hard to enter into everyone else's conversations, now.

Furthermore, it seemed nearly impossible to draw all three of these groups together, at once. Sesshoumaru didn't speak much at all. Next, Inuyasha would speak to his half-brother, or his nephew, but not both of them at the same time. Finally, Satoshi spent most of his day hovering over Eleni, because she knew absolutely no Japanese, and she needed someone to translate for her.

Nudging Sesshoumaru in the ribs with one arm, surreptitiously, Kagome reminded him, "You speak English, right?"

"Hn," agreed the taiyoukai, blandly. He refused to open his eyes, from where he reclined against a stone in the courtyard. "But she does not."

With a frown, Kagome pouted. This was sad. They were supposed to get to know the newest addition to their party, not just sit apart from her.

"Well, do you speak French?" continued Kagome.

Somehow, this failed to draw the kind of response that she hoped for either. "Perhaps," Sesshoumaru noted.

Throwing her hands up in the air, Kagome surrendered the battle. She traveled toward Makoto and took the other half-demon's hand, tugging her toward their guest. Flustered, the other girl blushed slightly, seeming reluctant to leave Inuyasha alone in one corner of the courtyard. Still though, it was for the best. They needed an activity that involved all of the girls in the group!

As she suggested this to Satoshi, he dutifully translated the idea to Eleni. A devious smirk emerged on the new girl's face, when she heard Kagome's words. "Um... yes," Satoshi translated carefully, "She thinks that is a good idea. We _should_ do a group activity."

Listening a bit longer, the smile became infectious. "And since this is a hot-springs resort," Satoshi finished brightly, "You should all go swimming!" The youngest dog-demon's expression lightened considerably with this thought. It resembled the look on Miroku's face, when he imagined spying on the girl's bath, in the past.

So, that was how Kagome ended up in a changing room with a spunky foreigner, demonstrating how to wash before entering the pools, and how to wrap towels so that they would not fall off in the water. As they left the changing room and sank into one blissfully warm onsen, Kagome smiled happily. There! They had done it! It was not too hard to include a foreigner into the group, even if Makoto-chan was resolutely shy around strangers...

An unexpected voice chimed into their dual-language conversation, however, interrupting Kagome's chatter. "Ah, perfect!" Satoshi grinned madly. "She says it is a very nice temperature."

Wide-eyed, the priestess turned in place, holding her towel tightly against her chest, even though it was already securely wrapped around her body. "What are you doing here? This is a girl's bath..."

"Shippo went to ask the owner if we can borrow this room for a while. There aren't many other guests today, anyway." A sparkle in the youngest inu-youkai's eyes implied that he didn't mind this surprise at all. Nor did he mind the way that he had managed to rope his guardian into participating in this endeavor.

Why would Satoshi do this? Eleni was a foreigner, and Europeans were used to private bathtubs, right? So, this was probably extremely embarrassing...

But when she checked on their guest, ironically, the girl did not seem insulted at sharing the space. "She thinks it is very common, here, to share bathrooms," the white-haired interloper added cheekily. "This is something I might have told her."

Narrowing her eyes, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest.

"Besides, France has some of the best nude beaches in the world!" he crowed, obviously enjoying her discomfiture.

After ten more minutes, Shippo joined them. Then, Inuyasha stormed in, fully dressed - only to turn around instantly, the moment he noticed that Makoto was also in the hot-spring. Sputtering, the boy failed to make any intelligible protest, although it was obvious that he disagreed with the idea of his girlfriend being wrapped in _nothing but a towel _around other men. So... Makoto left.

With a heavy sigh, Kagome rubbed her forehead. Darn it! This had happened again! Their group could not seem to stay whole, for longer than a quarter of an hour.

A stream of light foreign words carried through the air toward her ears and Satoshi laughed, before finally surrendering to temptation and swimming to sit at her side on the rocks. With a friendly smile, the pup introduced a very important subject. At least in his opinion, it was important.

"Because you are officially an expert on this subject," Satoshi nodded gravely, "I am sure that you can answer this question for Eleni."

"Um…" Kagome murmured hesitantly. Her frustration at Sesshoumaru's son had not quite burned off yet. "Okay?"

"Which is cuter..." the pup began impishly, "Lavender stripes or magenta stripes?"

Blushing furiously, Kagome whirled about to face the foreign guest. No. No way! Eleni seemed high-spirited, but no one in their right mind would ask such a question, within Sesshoumaru's hearing range. And the taiyoukai's hearing range extended for miles and miles. Didn't Satoshi inform her of this?

In the background, Shippo began to chortle helplessly. But ultimately, the kitsune pointed this fact out to the inu-youkai also. "He probably heard that."

The lavender stripes on Satoshi's cheeks darkened slightly, turning a richer light-violet color. "Well, sure," he noted, still staring at Kagome. "That's why it is such an important question."

After today, the miko vowed, she would never be capable of looking Satoshi straight in the eye again. One did not interrogate people about whether a son or father _looked better_! Not one of the father's lovers, in any case. Not when she knew where those stripes went, under the clothing...

"Sesshoumaru's stripes are better, of course," replied Kagome primly. "And they are maroon colored, not _magenta_."


	49. Chapter 49

Author's Note: Yes, the "Nana Grater Rape" is real. I just received one. It comes with a fun French poem.

**A Distant Promise - Mini-Chapter # 49**

Quality not quantity.

This was the lesson that she had finally learned. And ironically, the one who finally showed this to her was the newest addition to their group, Eleni Laroque. With a smile, she settled her hands into her lap, smoothing out her skirt.

They had completed a quiet weekend at the hotel, where Inuyasha worked. Then, Kagome had continued on with her friends to Kyoto and finally Tokyo. Eleni could not spend too much time in Japan, so Satoshi had taken her to all the sites that she hoped to see, in only two weeks.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru had returned to work. Before he had to leave, he gruffly declared, on his son's behalf, that the girl was not all bad. Secretly, Kagome thought this meant he was reluctant to acknowledge that his son was growing up, yet he understood that nothing could stop time.

And this was true. Nothing could stop Satoshi from maturing faster than his parent expected. Thoughts about growing up, about how much time was left - these thoughts had quickly spiraled Kagome into a negative mood.

It was the only regret she had at the moment - the fact that she could not spend more time with Sesshoumaru. But short could be sweet, too. Like this summer, for example. She could only spend a few months with Shippo, Satoshi, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and all her other friends – thus, she had to make each second count!

Thus, she had started to focus on how to celebrate the passage of time, instead of mourning it. And just like that - it had occurred to her! Birthdays!

At the moment, they were huddled in Shippo's apartment, plotting what to buy as a gift for the taiyoukai. Evidently, Sesshoumaru had been alive for so long that he had forgotten when his birthday occurred. But because this was irresponsible and everyone deserved a birthday celebration, Kagome had decided to assign him one, based on his personality and horoscope. 'Cancer' seemed like a good horoscope reading, and besides, early July was a great time to party.

"Well, what does he like?" asked Kagome, doggedly pursuing the subject. So far, no one had come up with any good ideas for a birthday present. She wanted to buy something special.

"Swords," noted the youngest inu-youkai flatly, raising one brow.

"One sword in particular," Shippo chimed in. "You might remember it."

The priestess moaned. "Oh, stop! I am not asking Inuyasha to give his birthright away, for an imaginary birthday. I don't want to give _swords_ anyway. He has lots of those, decorating the house. We need to pick out something that Sesshoumaru doesn't own. What does he not have?"

The kitsune pondered this silently for a moment, one finger tapping his chin. Finally, he declared, "Goldfish."

His tone sounded far too proud and smug for his own good. Satoshi nodded, blandly adding reinforcement. "That's true. Father never has owned any goldfish."

Glaring at her companions in dumbfounded shock, she rolled her eyes. Certainly, she was not able to take them seriously. Goldfish could not possibly be an appropriate birthday gift for a demon-lord.

As a last resort, she turned to the only female acquaintance in the group. Eleni smiled back, although she did not completely understand everything that was said. After Satoshi translated the last few lines, however, the girl seemed to agree.

"You are right," she nodded, as her boyfriend smoothly transformed the words into Japanese, "He should get a unique present. Pick something that represents _you_."

Then, quickly drifting off and ceasing his translation, Satoshi blinked. "Hey, that's a good idea," he said. "People tend to give what they want to receive, anyway, right?"

When the foreigner returned to the circle, compressing herself into the space on the floor between her boyfriend's feet, she held aloft a box. She had just unearthed it, from her luggage. And inside the cylindrical, clear plastic container, there was a doll about twelve inches high. Only this doll looked incredibly strange. It had a very long skirt, made from metal, that looked like...

"A cheese grater?" Kagome inquired in amazement. "It's so cute."

"C'est Nana Grater Rape," announced Eleni with a satisfied expression.

Scoffing slightly, the young dog-demon waved one hand dismissively. "She brought this from Paris," he explained, "Thinking it would be polite to present a gift to her host. But I said, sometimes 'unique' gifts are just weird. What would Father want with a female cheese grater?"

And while that was true (so true), it also allowed Kagome to see the light. She should add something to Sesshoumaru's birthday party that was uniquely her own, not simply a purchase she made. Maybe she could give him a fake Shikon no Tama keychain? Her grandfather still sold these. Or she could sow him a traditional outfit...

No, even better! She should acquire a picture for him of an inu-youkai. One of the art students in her dorm could help with this project.

So, it was settled. Even if Sesshoumaru didn't like the painting, he would most likely appreciate the gesture. It would be a birthday present like no other.

With a grin, she shifted closer to Eleni's side, lifting the fanciful tool out of the girl's hands. Hmm. Kitchen implements had never looked cooler than this.

"It's hand-painted, she says," added Satoshi, peering over his girlfriend's head.

Kagome tilted her head to one side in consideration. "I don't suppose she wants to give this to another _girl_ like me?"


	50. Chapter 50

Author's Note: I made it! 50 drabble-chapters! This is wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the reviewers who dragged these chapters out from me.

Now... for the final three-word chapter introduction. Endings are always hard to write in a believable fashion, but I hope you enjoyed the story.

**A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 50**

"I love you."

The words were barely mumbled against the back of her neck, and Kagome was barely awake, but she still heard it. The breath caught in her throat. Such words did not come often from Sesshoumaru.

In fact, both inu-youkai brothers had always seemed reserved, when it came to expressing affection. Once on a mountaintop, she had screamed her love for Inuyasha into the cold night air. As he burst down the door to rescue her from Akago and Kagura, he had heard her statement. But he had never replied. Not then, not now.

So, when these three words emerged from the lips of someone like Sesshoumaru, it meant the world. Through her association with the dog-brothers, she had learned that such a declaration was a precious keepsake, to be stored in a glass box on a mantelpiece, not carelessly thrown around to satisfy a desire. Whether he believed she could hear him or not, he meant it absolutely.

Had he truly appreciated receiving a birthday gift, so much? This was sad, and wonderful, and sweet all at once. Earlier that day, Shippo, Satoshi, and the others had participated in throwing him a party. Even Inuyasha had written him a card, although he seemed embarrassed about being present for such an event.

Simple but elegant, they had dragged the taiyoukai to a nice restaurant, followed by an interlude of reminiscing in a stylized garden that had been around since the Edo period. Quiet straightforward service, artful gardens, she had chosen their activities based on the dates that he had originally assembled for her, since she guessed that these showed his preferences.

But earlier in the day, Sesshoumaru had acted as though the entire experience was an imposition. If they forced such ridiculousness onto him, his attitude seemed to imply, then he would bear it. Still, she had not known for certain, whether the celebration met with his approval or not. The most they could get him to admit was that he thought it was silly to have a party about getting older.

Evidently, he did not mind too much. And it was deeply rooted in Kagome's heart to show others that she cared for them, in every way possible, all the time. If she had to invent birthdays for her favorite man, just to give him a special day meant only for him, then she would.

Probably, he had thought she would not hear him. Probably, it did not matter whether she answered. But those three words made her feel very cherished and appreciated, so she hoped to return the favor.

Closing her eyes, she cuddled the arm that lay across her waist and smiled into the dark.

"I love you too," she whispered in reply.

THE END


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